Japanese people are very fond of flowers and nature in general, explaining why parks and flower parks are something pretty (no pun intended) common here. While the park is a delight all year long, it is around the beginning of May, and during the Wisteria Festival, that the place becomes incredibly popular, with the hours […]
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Katori Shrine was founded in 643 B.C., and located in Chiba near Narita. It is a Shinto shrine, and the head shrine of approximately 400 other Katori shrines across Japan, mainly located in the Kanto region. Dedicated to the Futsumushi no Mikoto god (the protector or military/army men), the Katori Shrine has been an important […]
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Located just outside the Ikegami Honmon-Ji temple, Ikegami Baien is a gorgeous little plum tree garden that also features a few small traditional houses built for the unique purpose of the ancient art of the Tea Ceremony. Small yet elegant, Ikegami Baien is a little oasis of peace that is worth checking when visiting Ikegami […]
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Located in Kamogawa City in Chiba prefecture, and barely one and a half hours away from the center of Tokyo by car, Hitratsuka is the closest terraced rice field to Tokyo, and also the only one of its kind in Japan! Unlike other rice fields, the Hiratsuka Tanada (terraced rice field) grows rice with only […]
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Erected where the Japanese Saint Nichiren supposedly died in 1282, Ikegami Honmon-ji has been since then the administrative headquarters, as well as the training and living quarters, of the Nichiren Shu followers. Located on top of a hill within Tokyo’s Ota ward, Ikegami Honmon-ji features many temples and other cultural attractions that are worth checking […]
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Located in Nagano and close to Matsumoto and it’s gorgeous castle, the Daio Wasabi Farm is one of Japan’s largest wasabi farms. It is a very popular tourist destination for both wasabi lovers and fans of the 1989 movie “Dreams”, directed by the late great Akira Kurosawa, that used the location’s unique scenery as the […]
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Despite being one of Japan’s most famous martial arts, Aikido in its actual current form is a rather new sport that was founded in the 1930s at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo by Ueshiba Morihei (1883 – 1969). It wasn’t until after the second world war however, that Aikido really boomed and started to spread across […]
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Established in 1434 by the 12th Kiso lord Nobumichi, Kōzen-ji Temple, also known as Kozenji, is a Rinzai buddhist Myoshinji temple of the Kiso and Yamakura clans. Small in size, this temple comes with many little wonders in the form of four different gardens with the Syoryu Garden, Shyumisen Garden, Mansho Garden and Kanuntei Garden […]
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As a result of centuries of erosion cutting the granite bedrock it is only recently, and after the flow of the river had been lowered due to hydropower construction, that the gorgeous Nezame No Toko scenery was unveiled to us all! Located near the Agemmatsu village, Nezame No Toko is today a nationally designated scenic […]
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The third and last major post town alongside the Nakasendo Highway section of the Kiso Valley is Magome-Juku. Unlike Narai-Juku and Tsumago-Juku which are both located in Nagano , Magome-Juku is located in Gifu prefecture. It has also been completely restored to better accommodate tourists, but this makes Magome-Juku the least authentic post town of […]
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Like Narai-Juku, Tsumago is yet another famous post town alongside the Nakasendo Highway section of the Kiso Valley during the Edo period that linked Kyoto to Edo, known now as… Tokyo. Unlike Narai-Juku however, Tsumago-Juku is one of the best preserved post towns in Japan and its residents have gone to great lengths to protect […]
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Located in the southwestern part of Nagano prefecture, Narai-Juku was once a section of this historic Nakasendo Highway connecting Kyoto with Edo (presently known as Tokyo). Because of its strategic location between both cities, Narai-Juku quickly became one of the wealthiest towns in the Kiso Valley. While similar in its historical role to Tsumago and […]
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