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 ]
Nara, the Original Capital City of Culture
Aug 24, 2017 By Bert Wishart
Some 1,300 years ago the Empress Genmei established the seat of power in the mountainous area of Heijō-kyō, and in doing so created the country's first ever permanent capital. With the nation being ruled from the city (present-day Nara) this time has come to be known as the Nara period. Today Nara is a...[ 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 ]
Magome to Tsumago: Walking the Nakasendo Way
Jun 29, 2017 By Bert Wishart
During the Edo era the Tokkaido and the Nakasendo roads were the two main routes that connected the new capital of Edo (now Tokyo) and the old Capital of Kyoto, with the latter, as the name suggests, passing through the mountainous centre of Japan and the former following the coast....[ 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 ]
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 ]
Day Trips From Tokyo – Kamakura, the Kyoto of the East
Apr 17, 2017 By Bert Wishart
When tourist destinations claim to 'have it all', you can generally presume that this is short hand for 'there are a few things that are okay, but nothing of particular great note'. However, when it comes to Kamakura, a city with abundant nature, fantastic food, sports and an illustrious historical heritage, it is...[ Click to read more ]
Getting to know you: Osu, Nagoya
Feb 26, 2017 By Bert Wishart
Between Nagoya's central transport area of Meieki (Nagoya Station) in the west, and the lively shopping and commerce hub of Sakae in the east lies Osu, one of the city's more interesting and eclectic areas. Centered around its covered shopping arcade, Osu has an atmosphere similar to Tokyo's Harajuku, with aging hippies happily rubbing shoulders with...[ Click to read more ]
New Year’s Celebrations in Osaka: Ring in the Good Luck 2017
Dec 21, 2016 By Justin Hanus
Winter fun seeking in Osaka is an invigorating blend of the traditional and the modern. Consider the age-old practice of pounding rice to usher in the Japanese New Year. Foods made from mochi, the sticky paste that is molded into rice cakes, are considered a "Food for the Gods" and...[ Click to read more ]
