Hatsumode in Hiroshima – Shrines to Visit for New Years and the Tondo Festival
Dec 26, 2022 By Hugh Cann
There are two main traditions marking the beginning of the new year in Hiroshima. Hatsumōde is the first visit of the year to a shrine and takes place throughout Japan. Later in the month is the Tondo Festival, which is just in Hiroshima. Hatsumōde The first visit of the year...[ Click to read more ]
Skiing in Nagoya: Day and Weekend Trips!
Dec 24, 2022 By Bert Wishart
There’s nothing more exhilarating than standing on the top of a slope, the pure white snow stretching out below you, or that moment when you lean forward and the wind begins to rush around your face as you start down the mountain in graceful arcs to the bottom. Yes, the...[ Click to read more ]
Hatsumode in Kobe – Shrines to Visit for New Years
Dec 20, 2022 By Justin Hanus
Japan only started celebrating the New Year on January 1st, 1873, when the country adopted the Gregorian calendar of the West. Traditionally, the Japanese New Year was the same as the Chinese calendar. As this is a lunisolar calendar, New Year falls on a different date each year. Now, though,...[ Click to read more ]
Skiing in Kansai: Day and Weekend Trips!
Dec 12, 2022 By Justin Hanus
Skiing might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of tourist attractions in Japan. However, many skiing enthusiasts visit each winter, keen to experience the powder-dry snow. Kansai has many skiing locations — and they tend to draw in fewer tourists than regions like Hokkaido...[ Click to read more ]
Top Activities in Shinsaibashi, Osaka
Nov 29, 2022 By Justin Hanus
One of the most famous neighborhoods in Osaka is Shinsaibashi. Although it’s primarily a shopping neighborhood, it’s also a great place to visit for nightlife, restaurants, and cultural attractions. In particular, there are six things to do in Shinsaibashi. Shop in the Arcade Shotengai You can’t visit Shinsaibashi without checking...[ Click to read more ]
Japanese New Years’ Traditions
Nov 24, 2022 By Jason Gatewood
New Year is the main holiday of the year in Japan, and the country shuts down for several days as people take time off to spend time with their families and relax. As with Christmas celebrations in the West, numerous customs and traditions are observed at New Year. Here are...[ Click to read more ]
The History of Japan’s Majestic Fall Colors
Oct 25, 2022 By Bert Wishart
Japan's most popular season for tourists is undoubtedly spring. When the cherry blossoms bloom, people from inside Japan and worldwide gather in popular, beautiful spots to bask in the traditional scenes of pinks, reds, and whites that form many of our preconceptions of Japan's natural state. However, what is less...[ Click to read more ]
Taking a Day Trip from Hiroshima to Miyajima
Oct 24, 2022 By Justin Hanus
One of the most popular destinations to visit from Hiroshima is Miyajima. Officially called Itsukushima, the island has a collection of temples and shrines — including the iconic Itsukushima Shrine — and is home to wild deer. It’s an ideal place for a day trip while you’re in Hiroshima. Reaching...[ Click to read more ]
Hidden Attractions in Hiroshima
By Justin Hanus
Hiroshima has grown in popularity as a tourist destination in recent years, with Japanese and overseas nationals flocking to see attractions such as Hiroshima Castle, Peace Memorial Park, and Itsukushima Shrine. Although the prefecture is still best known for the horrors it experienced during World War II, there is much...[ Click to read more ]
Getting Away in Japan: Nara
By Bert Wishart
A trip to the capital doesn't have to mean Tokyo's bright lights and bustle. Nara, in south-central Japan, was established as the nation's first permanent capital in 710 CE and, as such, remains an area of great historical interest. But Nara is not just a spot for history buffs as,...[ Click to read more ]
