sightseeing
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Manabe Garden: Hokkaido’s Oldest Conifer Garden
Located in Hokkaido’s Obihiro city is Manabe Garden, the site of the first Conifer garden in Japan. Among its collection includes rare plants, many of which were established even before Hokkaido’s modernisation process which started even before the beginning of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Manabe Garden Manabe Garden (真鍋庭園, Manabe-teien) is a garden that consists…
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Coming of Age Day in Japan: What you should know
Today (the second Monday of January) is one of the first holiday’s of the new year (after the New Year’s period called O-shougatsu, of course). Known as “Coming of Age Day” (成人の日, Seijin no Hi), it celebrates those who become adults between 2 April of last year and 1 April of this year. As it…
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Historic Matsumoto: Castle Town of one of Japan’s Original Castles
Like many old castles in Japan, Matsumoto Castle (松本城) was surrounding by an old castle town, which today is known as the Historic Matsumoto Castle Town. This amazing area hosts not only the castle but many preserved streets, artisans, merchants, temples and more! If you make your way to Matsumoto, make sure you allot some…
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St Conan’s Kirk: Argyll’s Hidden Gem (Scotland)
As you head towards the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides, you no doubt will have to pass through parts of Bute and Argyll – an absolutely beautiful area that is also defined by mountains, islands, lochs and more. There are also some amazing historical sites – Rest and Be Thankful, Ardchattan Priory, and McCaig’s Tower,…
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Kiso Fukushima: A Quiet Town on the Nakasendo Trail
Kiso Fukushima is a small town in Nagano Prefecture, close to the Nakasendo Trail – the mountain trail that ran between Tokyo and Kyoto – in Nagano Prefecture. It is a beautiful town, it boasts a traditional, picturesque quarter that is not frequently visited by many travellers. Kiso Fukushima – History Kiso Fukushima (also called…
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Nakama Banyan: Friendship Trees
On the Japanese island of Yakushima is a special set of trees called the Nakama Banyan. These banyan trees, which are a type of fig trees, have grown together into an arch – providing an excellent place for photos! In Japan, Yakushima is the northernmost island on which Banyan trees, which are native to to…
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Nagoya Castle: One of Japan’s Most Important Castles
The capital of Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya, is home to what was once one of the most important castles in Japan. Nagoya Castle, or Meijo as it is sometimes known, is one of the “100 most famous castles in Japan”. In fact Meijo means “famous castle” in Japanese. It is also sometimes called Kinkojo (“Golden Shachi…
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Shukkeien Garden: Oasis in Hiroshima City
Located in the middle of Hiroshima City, Shukkeien Garden is a historic Japanese garden situated near the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum. The name Shukkeien means “reduced landscape” in Japanese, referring to the collection and condensation of scenic beauty from various regions. It is said to be a condensed version of China’s Xi or West Lake…
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One-Day Kyoto Itinerary: Combining Fushimi Inari Taisha and Tofuku-ji Temple
I have travelled many places in Japan, but one of my favourite cities has to be Kyoto because of its rich history. As someone who is interested in traditional Japanese architecture and culture, cities like Kyoto are what draw me more than modern cities like Tokyo. Two of my favourite sites in Kyoto are Fushimi…
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Miyajidake Shrine: Fukuoka’s Sunset Boulevard
Northwest of the Japanese city of Fukuoka lies one of Japan’s most iconic Shinto shrines – so iconic you may have seen famous pictures of it! If you have seen a picture of the sunset down a large boulevard with a bay in the background and a torii gate in the midground, that is probably…
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Oyaku Garden: Miraculous Healing Water and Medicinal Plants
Located in Aizu-Wakamatsu (Fukushima Prefecture) in walking distance from Tsuruga Castle (Eastern Japan’s Largest Castle), Oyaku Garden, which translates as “medicinal garden” is an old garden and former feudal lord residence that has been operating since the 1380s. Mythical origins and confirmed History The exact origin of this garden is not fully known, but it…
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Inukai Falls: Largest Waterfall in Southern Kyushu
Near the southern tip of Kyushu lies Kirishima, a famous, holy place that is part of the founding mythology of Japan. In this area lies Inukai Falls, said to be one of the stops of Ryoma on his honeymoon – the first one in Japan! Inukai Falls is a 33-metre (approx. 108 ft) waterfall that…
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Motomachi, Hakodate: The Old Merchant District
Hakodate, in the southern part of Hokkaido, was originally intended to be the capital of Japan’s northernmost island. When the country opened up after the Meiji Restoration, merchants and important people from primarily China, Russia, the US and the UK (among others) flocked here to take advantage of the riches to be found here. As…
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Kumaso Cave: Psychedelic Cave Paintings
In Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Kyushu lies Kumaso Cave. Near the city of Kirishima, the cave is steeped in a combination of myth, history and legends. Today, you can visit the cave to see modern, psychedelic-like paintings on the cave walls. Myth, History and Legends of Kumaso Cave In the first and second centuries CE,…
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Sazaedo: Temple with a Double-Helix Staircase
In Fukushima Prefecture’s Aizu region lies Aizu-Wakamatsu, the largest town. In addition to hosting famous sites, such as the Tsuruga Castle: Eastern Japan’s Largest Castle, Aizu-Wakamatsu has something unique: Sazaedo. What is Sazaedo? Sazaedo, or the “Sea Snail Temple,” is a three-storey pagoda built in 1796 to house 33 statues of the goddess Kannon, an…
