Top 3 Autumn Leaf Viewing Spots in Japan
As sweltering summer turns to autumn, leaves take on an amber hue starting from the mountains in Hokkaido and spreading southwards. Here are three top spots where Japanese people go “koyo (autumn leaf) hunting”!
Arashiyama, Kyoto 嵐山－京都
Best...
Summer Illumination at Meguro Gajoen
A display of Japanese lights
Meguro Gajoen is Tokyo's longest-running wedding venue, and one of the most gorgeous, too. Its resemblance to the bathhouse of Ghibli Studio's "Spirited Away" has often been pointed out, and we...
The entrance to Sumida River, Kachidoki Bridge
An international expo was scheduled for Tokyo in 1940, whose main venue would have been in Tsukishima. This expo was planned to celebrate Japan’s 2,600th anniversary. According to historical document “Nihonshoki” written in the...
Japan`s World Heritage Site: Buddhist Monuments in Horyuji
Horyuji Temple: The World's Oldest Wooden Building
While Kyoto may be home to many of Japan’s most famous and photographed temples, it was nearby Nara Prefecture’s Horyuji Temple that captured UNESCO's attention to become Japan's first...
Onsen Oasis: Dogo Onsen
Get spirited away at one of Japan's oldest hot springs
At Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, you soak in the historic atmosphere just as much as the hot spring itself. While Matsuyama as a...
World Heritage (2): Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle: Japanese castle architecture perfected and preserved
After 5 and a half years of renovations, Himeji Castle reopened to the public in March in blazing white glory, with not just repainted walls and new roof tiles,...
Training Through Tohoku (1): The Must Do List
Tohoku - the northeastern region of Japan's main island - is most enjoyable in autumn, when this scenic area is aflame with fall colors, and its famed fruits and seafood are in full harvest. And...
Tenkawa Shrine, Japan’s Most Seclusive Power Spot
Simultaneously valuing traditions and welcoming the new
What exactly does religion mean in Japan? What is Shinto and how important is it to the Japanese? Never during my 10 years in Japan did I ask myself...
Hie Shrine, Japan’s Most Urban Power Spot
A sacred shrine you reach by escalator
Presiding over a steep slope in the middle of Tokyo, the Hie Shrine is probably Japan's most urban shrine. Located in Nagatacho of the Chiyoda Ward, the shrine is surrounded by a...
