Nishitama, Okutama : A Trip Into Tokyo’s Untapped Forests
Forests in Tokyo? Impossible – you might think, but it’s very possible. Two hours west of Shinjuku, lies the Nishitama area, part of greater Tokyo. Now, to many Tokyo residents, Nishitama is nothing special...
The Shopping Culture of Tokyoites
Curious Edo People and Trendy Tokyoites
Shopping culture has been evolving, absorbing other cultural elements and remixing them into today's shopping landscape. It isn't just the businesses at the forefront of this innovation, but also...
The History Of Akasaka – A Place Of Gourmets and Geishas
Akasaka is a district of Tokyo’s Minato Ward whose name means “red slope,” the second word of which makes sense seeing as the area is located on more than 25 hills. The “red” (aka)...
MITSUKOSHI: Pioneering Through the Ages
The Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store is preserving history while leading it at the same time. The Mitsukoshi brand itself dates back to 1673, and it became Japan’s first modern-day department store in 1904. Since...
Matsuri hunting at Matsushiro Castle in Nagano
The 63rd Matsushiro clan: Sanada Jumangoku Festival
Matsushiro is located in Nagano Prefecture, an area nowadays famous for skiing. However, during Sengoku period (the Warring States period: 1467-1600), Matsushiro was a famous warrior's territory called...
WAttention 29 Special: ARCHITECTURE & ARTS IN TOKYO
Tokyo – the metropolis of organized chaos, where buildings seem to have grown at will. And they have grown in all shapes and sizes: thin stick-like buildings wedged between bigger ones, wooden temples...
Kamata Hakensha: The Soul Balanced on the Knife’s Sharp Edge
Samurai were said to believe that their soul resided inside their katana swords. Mr. Kamata of the eponymous and worldwide known store in Asakusa gives soul to Japanese blades today.
Located in the nostalgic-looking Kappabashi...
The Untouched Soul of Shitamachi
People around the world tend to think of Japanese culture as very monolithic and homogenous. But the truth is that Japan’s modern identity is a complex mix of the country’s two old cultural heritages:...
Yamadera, Mogamigawa and Kisakata
Nostalgic and Picturesque
Yamadera and Mogamigawa
On our way to Yamagata-ken, we made a detour to drop by Hojin- no-ie Inn, the only remaining inn out of the ones that Matsuo Basho stayed in.
According to records,...
Encounter Pure Land Buddhism in Hiraizumi
After arriving at Iwate-ken, we enjoyed a calming cruise down Geibikei, a gorge with impressive limestone features stretching two kilometres long. As we sailed down the river, we took the chance to soak in...
