Gion Festival: A matsuri of “moveable art museums”
A Kyoto summer without the Gion Festival would be like imagining the ancient capital without all its beautiful art and architecture. Fortunately, at this festival – one of Japan’s three biggest – you can gaze...
No Beef with Kobe: Eat, See, Enjoy!
I took a day trip with K-san (unnamed for privacy) to Kobe during my week-long Japan vacation. We took the direct JR line (around 50 minutes) from our Osaka accommodation to Kobe’s central station,...
Top 4 Vegan & Vegetarian Ryokan Accommodations in Japan
Though many people say that it's difficult to be a vegetarian in Japan, the truth is Japan has centuries worth of tradition processing plants in a plethora of delicious ways. Taking it one step...
Charge Up On Luck & Love At Kyoto Power Spots (2)
Feel spiritually recharged at these spots believed to impart its visitors with a special energy, and bring home some luck in the form of an omamori (charm)!
Jishu Jinja Shrine (Kiyomizu Temple)
For: Love/Good Marriage/Matchmaking
Located behind the ...
Best Matcha Parfait in Kyoto
Matcha is loved all over Japan and foreigners are joining in on the powdered green tea hype. The delicious multi-layered dessert called "parfait" is very popular in Japan and many cafés have at least one...
Religious Encounters and Culinary Surprises in Shingu
By Rozemarije Zijlmans
It’s said that the Kumano gods first descended to earth at the gigantic white, greyish rock that sticks out of the Gongenyama mountain. From this sacred spot, marked by the small red...
Dragonball themed Café at Tower Records Café – Omotesando
The next time-limited café for November opened its doors in the beginning of the month. The popular anime series “Dragonball” celebrates its 30th anniversary, therefore the Tower Records Cafe branch opened three Dragonball themed...
Japan’s 8 Best-Preserved Castle Towns
Original surviving Japanese castles are a rarity. Only a dozen retain their original keeps, though there are many more that lie in ruins or have been reconstructed. Beyond the castles, however, many historic castle...
7 Great Train Passes to Save Money on Transit
Trains are amazing in Japan, but depending on how far you plan to travel, those ticket prices can start to add up. Fortunately, there are a number of passes you can buy to get...
First Shrine visit of the year – Hatsumode
New Year's is one of the most important holidays on the Japanese calendar. During the Edo period and the old way of counting, everyone was one year old at birth (because they counted the...
