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Daigo-ji is a hidden gem in the 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kyoto. The temple complex is in the same ward as the impressive Fushimi Inari Taisha. It’s just far enough out of Kyoto ...
The convenient Japanese coffee. It’s one of my tools for a day packed full of temple touring, shrine visits and shinkansen travel. This Kyoto Matcha (Green Tea) Latte 「京都抹茶ラテ」 was actually purchased from a convenience ...
Although Tokushima City has a population of a little over a quarter of a million people, the Awa Odori festival receives over 1 million visitors every year. Awa Odori is held on the same dates ...
There always seems to be something crazy happening in Dōtonbori. I have a connection to this place, it’s the first area of Japan I every visited, way back in 2009. This particular location is the ...
The imposing Japanese Shinto shrine tower gate 「rōmon, 楼門」 is an impressive structure, acting as an entrance to sacred ground. The bright vermillion coloured paint makes it an unmissable shrine landmark. Intricate under-side of Shimogamo-jinja’s ...
Mount Sanage is located on the outskirts of Toyota City in Aichi Prefecture. The mountain contains a hiking trail which is popular among the locals. From certain points on the mountain you can see Seto ...
Japan has some massive train stations. Nagoya Station is deemed to be Japan’s biggest train station at 245m high. The building includes the JR Central Towers containing the headquarters of JR Central, other offices and ...
What is generally known as sake is actually called nihonshu 「Japanese rice wine, 日本酒」 in Japanese and the literal translation is “Japan’s alcohol”. Sake just means “alcohol”. Nihonshu is a very important part of Japanese ...
Anyone who has travelled this country knows that Japan is super convenient – convenience stores are always near, vending machines on every block and hotel amenities that mean you can leave your toiletries at home. ...
[dropcap]H[/dropcap]ousing the entire collection of Buddhist sutras and scripts published by Tenkai, this small structure contains a hexagonal revolving bookcase which is where the building gets its name. Tenrinzō 「てんりんぞう, 転輪蔵」in English means “revolving cylindrical ...
From a 75km hike skirting the city, to a walk down the road to buy a beer and everything in between, the Deep Kyoto: Walks eBook is a soul-nourishing read. Deep Kyoto: Walks not so subtlety ...
Deer in Nara. They’re everywhere! Freely roaming the streets, Nara-koen 「Nara Park, 奈良公園」 and the entrance to Tōdai-ji 「Great Eastern Temple, 東大寺」 with their wide eyes and curiously sniffing snouts. These wild deer, called shika ...
The Kamo Shrines – Kamigamo Shrine and Shimogamo Shrine – are surrounded by wonderfully peaceful ancient and sacred forests. Kamigamo-jinja is a UNESO World Heritage shrine which claims to be the oldest shrine in Kyoto ...
Leaving Kyoto is never fun. The only part of leaving that is enjoyable is the ride on the shinkansen 「新幹線」 and speeding along at 270km/h to the next destination. N700 Series Shinkansen This bullet train ...
Wakamiya-Hachiman-sha 「Wakamiya-Hachiman Shrine, 若宮八幡社」 in south Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture is a small local shrine with a rustic worship hall. Surrounded by a small wooded grove, this shrine is an isle of green in an ...
Orion Draft Beer 「リオン生ビール」 is Okinawa’s standard beer. The beer is brewed in Okinawa by Orion Breweries and distributed throughout the rest of Japan by Asahi Breweries. Orion Draft Beer 「Orion Nama Biiru, リオン生ビール」 One ...
Close to the summit on Ontake-san 「Mount Ontake, 御嶽山」 is the upper shrine of Ontake-jinja called Ontake-jinja Okusha. Pilgrims dressed in white robes with a conical hat and wooden walking stick trek up the mountain, ...
Kamigamo Shrine lays claim to the oldest shrine in Kyoto. This UNESCO World Heritage shrine in Kyoto is a hidden gem in the treasure of the ancient city’s historic sites. In this article: Explore Kamigamo-jinja ...
The majority of tourists visiting Kyoto will ride the Kyoto City Bus. Far too often I see these tourist having difficulty using the bus, so these quick tips will make your transit much simpler. ...
Attending a Grand Sumo Tournament 「Honbasho, 本場所」 in Japan is an amazing spectacle. The unique sport has ancient origins, and the ceremonies and rituals preceding and following each part of the tournament have many layers ...
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