The Danjiri Matsuri in Osaka is a Multi-Generational Thrill Show
Sep 14, 2017 By Justin Hanus
Autumn means the biggest event of the year for the southern Osaka city of Kishiwada - the Danjiri Matsuri. Danjiri are large wooden carts inside which religious tenets declare gods reside. The point of the festival is to honor the gods by having fleets of neighborhood men pull the carts...[ Click to read more ]
Daisho-In Temple: the alternative to Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima
Sep 13, 2017 By Jade Brischke
It may not be as famous as Itsukushima Shrine, but Daisho-In Temple on Miyajima is just as beautiful and to let you in on a secret, it’s actually my favourite. When I go to Miyajima, I bypass Itsukushima (and the crowds!) and head straight for Daisho-In. Unlike shrines, which are...[ Click to read more ]
Hatchiman Matsuri, One of Japan’s Most Beautiful Festivals in Enchanting Takayama
Sep 12, 2017 By Bert Wishart
Located in Gifu Prefecture, and surrounded by some of Japan’s richest natural areas just below the famous Northern Alps, Takayama is some what isolated and distant. This isolation allowed the city to develop its own distinct culture that combines that of nearby Edo (modern day Tokyo) and Kyoto’s into a new...[ Click to read more ]
Gozan no Okuribi – Kyoto’s Obon Fire-Fest
Jul 11, 2017 By Bert Wishart
The festival of Obon, a buddhist celebration of ancestors, is celebrated across Japan from the 13th-15th of August (excepting some regional variants). During Obon, the spirits of ancestors return to this world to visit family altars, though they are not limited to that location! At the culmination of this festival,...[ Click to read more ]
Kobe Love Port or the Minato Matsuri 2017
Jun 27, 2017 By
The Kobe Love Port (Minato Matsuri) is an annual festival held on Dainitotte (the 2nd Pier) east of Meriken Park close to the Port Terminal station on the Portliner. The festival celebrates Marine Day, express gratitude for the blessings of the ocean, and hope for prosperity in the coming year. This festival has a distinct nautical...[ Click to read more ]
Sanno Matsuri, One of Tokyo’s Three Most Important Festivals
May 30, 2017 By Bert Wishart
When it comes to festivals (matsuri), nothing can quite beat Japan in the summer. Pretty much every town and city will have one, and Tokyo, being the cultural (and pretty much geographical) epicenter of the country, has more than its fair share. One of the capital's three most important matsuri...[ Click to read more ]
Hydrangea Walk in the Kobe City Forest Botanical Garden
May 25, 2017 By Admin
The Kobe City Forest Botanical Garden, is a massive botanical garden and arboretum located near Mount Maya in Kobe, Japan. Despite its close proximity to the city, the "garden" is an oasis of nature where you can immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the forest. There are several hiking...[ Click to read more ]
Toukasan Festival: Hiroshima’s Official Start of Summer
May 23, 2017 By Jade Brischke
Toukasan (とうかさん) is not only the biggest festival in Hiroshima, but also one of the oldest of the summer festivals in the whole of Japan. Dating back some 400 years, the three-day festival is the event the highlights the fact that summer has officially begun. Held every June on the...[ Click to read more ]
Japan Alps Art Festival 2017
May 19, 2017 By Bert Wishart
While the area is famous for hiking in summer and skiing in winter, when one thinks of the mountanous prefecture of Nagano, art isn't exactly the first thing that springs to mind. However, this preconception may be about to change. Up in the northwest of the prefecture, from early June to...[ Click to read more ]
Summer Nights With Tokyo’s Magical Fireflies
By Bert Wishart
There are four key ways that you can tell that summer on its way in Japan. The top three are obvious: the convenience stores replacing nikuman with cold ramen; cool biz mercifully replacing suits and ties in the office, and everyone is saying "atsui ne!" every thirty seconds. But the fourth one?...[ Click to read more ]
