Billing itself as an “Aqua Museum,” this amusement park and aquarium occupies its own small island at the tip of Yokohama Bay. The aquarium is a good one, with an undersea viewing tunnel that shows off some of the huge collection of over 100,000 fish. In addition to the aquarium there are also som...
Worried about fire walking? Understandable, but actually fire walking is practiced around the world, and has been for centuries. The present Guinness world record fire walker marched more than 91 meters over glowing coals in 2006, so your little hop over the embers at Daishoin shouldn't prove too di...
Another of Kanagawa’s attractions is the Enoshima Aquarium, certain to be a hit with anyone interested in marine biology. The Big Sagami Bay Tank recreates the ecology of nearby Sagami Bay, including a school of over 8,000 sardines that swim together in tight, spiraling formation. The Jellyfish Fa...
Daishoin is one of the most important Shingon Buddhist temples in western Japan. The temple’s origins date to 806 AD when Kobo Daishi, Shingon’s legendary founder, undertook ascetic practices on Mt. Misen. In 2006, the temple played host to the Dalai Lama, whose teachings and rituals drew Buddhists ...
The story of Mikimoto Island is really the story of Mikimoto Kokichi, who pioneered the production of cultured pearls. Born the eldest son of an udon noodle maker in the Shima Peninsula’s town of Toba, Mikimoto developed a childhood passion for pearls after seeing the famous pearl diving “Pearl Mai...
Miyajima has more than its fair share of wonderful buildings, but surely Senjokaku is one of the most atmospheric. The name, which means "Thousand Mat Hall" refers to the large, open floor space. Construction began in 1587 on the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but was left uncompleted following his...
Innoshima is a small island in the Seto Inland Sea, and from the Muromachi through the Sengoku eras was the stronghold for one of the three main branches of the powerful Murakami family.Ten forts were constructed around the island’s perimeter, with a mountain castle at the center to supervise the fo...
