Nara National Museum
The Nara National Museum, situated in the Nara Park, is one of the four prominent national museums in Japan, along with Tokyo, Kyoto and Kyushu. It houses about 1,400 collection items which are extensively...
Tori No Ichi: The Good Luck Charm Fair
If your sign is the Rooster you're in for a lot of celebrations this year and the next. Tori No Ichi, or bird/rooster day, is celebrated every 12 days of November. This means that...
Another 3hr trip kagurazaka/ Kudanshita
Although Kagurazaka is close to Tokyo’s entertainment district, Shinjuku, it has a character all of its own. As a prominent hanamachi (geisha district) that thrived from the Edo Period (1603-1868) to the Showa Period (1926-...
Japan`s World Heritage Sites: Monuments of Ancient Kyoto
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto: A treasury of temples and shrines
With so many gems gathered here, the sightseer's dilemma is knowing where to start! So for the time-strapped tourist, here are the top three "must see" spots.
1....
Visit the Glorious Past: Merchant Houses in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture
Sakata, with its ideal geographic location, flourished as a trade center and major port from which goods were shipped from Tohoku to Kyoto and Tokyo in the Edo Period (1603-1867).
Traces of the port’s glorious...
Naka-Harima: for Travelers Interested in Japanese History
Among the many famous places in Japan, 1.Himeji Castle is a must-see. With its striking towers, it is an iconic Japanese castle. Not only did it survive Japan’s era of war-torn civil unrest during the...
How to celebrate Tsukimi in Japan
Like with hanami (flower-viewing) and yukimi onsen (snow-viewing in a hot spring) the Japanese make it a habit to sit down together and marvel at the signs of passing seasons. However, unlike hanami that...
Visit the Origin of Ninja (2) : Museums and a Ninja Trick House
After accomplishing a tranquil mind like a ninja, we moved on to the ninja house!
Just across the road from the entrance from Okusha, we arrived at the Togakushi Folk Museum, Togakushi Ninja Museum and...
Awa Odori: Japan’s Biggest Dance Festival
Awa Odori Festival Japan
"It's a fool who dances and a fool who watches! If both are fools, you might as well have fun dancing!"
The lyrics to the Awa Odori's thematic "Fool's Song" are a fitting...
Tono: the Enchanting Land of Yokai
Welcome to Tono, home of the most Yokai in Japan Hop on a bicycle and see which ones you can find!
Surrounded by 1000-meter-high mountains, the village of Tono in Iwate is the ground zero...
