One of Japan’s most famous temples, Kinkakuji is one of Kyoto’s most popular attractions and is a world-renowned tourist location. The temple was actually the retirement house of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and it became a Zen temple of the Rinzai sect after his death in 1408. [...]
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Koibito-misaki Cape, also known as Lover’s Cape, is located in the Nishimuro district of Wakayama prefecture. It has been made famous for its unusual phenomenon where waves approach from opposite directions smashes against each other. Buffeted by winds and tides, this scenic view constantly changes. [...]
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Located in the heart of the fishing town Mihonoseki in Shimane prefecture you will find the small 500 meter long Aoishidatamidori street which is lined with old houses, inns, and museums. It’s made famous by the stones used to pave the road that is supposed to turn slightly blue [...]
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The Dangyokei Gorge of Ochi-gun in Shimane prefecture was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1935. Later turned into a park, the 4km long and 100m deep ravine has the Gonokawa River at its bottom. While for safety reasons it is prohibited to swim […]
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Located in Karakawa Town in Shimane prefecture, Karakama-jinja Shrine, is an ancient shrine known for being mentioned in both the Engishiki, a Japanese book about laws and customs from 927, as well as Izumo no Kuni Fudoki which are ancient reports on provincial culture, geography, and oral tradition. [...]
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Most famous and accessible spots to enjoy views of Mount Fuji are located in Yamanashi prefecture around its many gorgeous lakes. Shizuoka prefecture also has a lot to offer in that respect such as the many, not often talked about, spots in Numazu. [...]
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Located in the lovely city of Izumo in Shimane prefecture, Izumo Taisha is actually one of Japan’s most important shrines. While we have no clear date when Izumo Taisha was erected, we find some mention of Izumo Taisha in the early 700s in Japan’s oldest chronicles. [...]
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Located in Osio in Kanagawa prefecture, Oiso No Sagicho is a 400-year-old Matsuri (festival) celebrating a guardian deity for travelers called a Dosojin as well as being known as Oiso or ‘Little New Year’. [...]
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The former Ikeda Family Garden is a Japanese style garden located in a rural area of Daisen City in Akita prefecture. The garden was arranged by the Ikeda family who was one of the major landowners in the Tohoku region during the Edo period. [...]
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Every year on the 7th of January, in the small village of Yanaizu in central Fukushima, you can enjoy a fantastic and unique festival, the Nanokado Hadaka Mairi, or in English the Yanaizu Naked Man Festival. [...]
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Located in the mountains of the Akita Towada-Hachimantai National Park, Tamagawa Onsen is a unique hot spring resort! Indeed the onsen is famous for having Japan’s most acidic hot spring water with a pH of around 1. It features a very rare radioactive stone, known as Hokutolite. [...]
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Sumo was first mentioned in a Kojiki manuscript dating back to 712 describing how possession of the Japanese islands was decided in a wrestling match between the divine being (Kami) Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata. It is only several years later, around 720, that the first Sumo match between mortals took […]
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