Home to geisha, kabuki, and narrow teahouses, the district of Gion is considered by many in Japan to be the heart and soul of Kyoto.
Stretching west of Yasaka Shrine, called Gion-san by locals, from the middle-ages much of the neighborhood was given over primarily to teahouses for visitors to the...
At the easternmost point of Shikoku’s Kagawa prefecture, the little town of Hiketa retains much of the atmosphere of an old-fashioned fishing port. Although Hiketa merged with two other towns in 2003 to form the city of Higashikagawa, it remains a distinctive community with a wealth of material his...
This is Kamakura's most important shrine, built first in 1180 and, after a disastrous fire, againin 1191 by Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura Shogunate. The Shrine is designated to Hachiman, a Shintogod of war and also the patron deity to the Minamoto clan. Additionally, the souls of...
The Sapporo Okurayama Ski Jump was used as the Large Hill event stage in the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics. There had been a ski jump here since 1931, when a smaller facility was built with help from Crown Prince Yasuhito, the younger brother of Emperor Hirohito. For the Olympics, the ski jump was en...
People in Hiroshima are proud of their streetcars, and will tell you so. The city is the last in Japan to maintain an extensive streetcar system, and many of the trains are old cars purchased when other Japanese cities discontinued or downsized their own streetcar lines.
The streetcar terminal is...
More than living up to its name, this 296 meter building is Japan’s tallest after Tokyo Tower, hosting offices, a hotel, restaurants and shopping spaces. One of the world’s fastest elevators will rush you to the 69th floor in just forty seconds, where you’ll enjoy spectacular views from the Sky Gar...
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...
If you’ve decided to make the trek to the wonderful Oku Hida Onsen Villages, you may also want to take advantage of the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway.
From its lower terminal in Shin-Hotaka Onsen the ropeway climbs 1,033 meters, the greatest altitude change of any ropeway in Asia, in two stages to its uppe...
Just west of the grounds of Asakusa’s Sensoji, visitors will come across Hanayashiki, a small and slightly run down amusement park. Don’t just shrug it off, though, especially if you have kids with you who might like a break from shrines and shopping.
If for no other reason, Hanayashiki deserves ...
Fukuyama Castle, with its moon viewing tower and watchtower, stands guard on a hill overlooking the city of Fukuyama. The original castle was completed by in 1622 by Mizuno Katsunari, a hereditary Tokugawa lord, and its five-tiered tower made it one of the most important castles in western Japan. De...
About 18 kilometers east of Toyako, Hokkaido’s most celebrated onsen resort has it all. Mountain scenery, fantastic hot spring baths, and a close-up look at the geothermal forces that make the hot springs possible.
Jigoku Dani, which means Hell Valley, is a name you’ll find at several onsens thro...
From Canadian girl-next-door to maiko in just over an hour. At Maica, they'll transform you in to a geisha in the heart of old Gion!
Did you enjoy playing dress-up when you were a child? Are you interested in the culture of the geisha? Have we got a treat for you!
Geisha, or Geiko as they ...
Straddling the border of Aikita and Aomori prefectures in Japan’s northern Tohoku region, the Shirakami Sanchi is the largest stand of old-growth beech forest in East Asia.
About 1,300 square kilometers of beech forest remain here. A near perfectly preserved core portion of the forest, amounting to...
Nikko is a fairly small city situated at the edge of Nikko National Park. A pilgrimage site for over a thousand years (there may have been a Shinto shrine in the area as early as the 5th century), Nikko’s fate as one of Japan’s most visited towns was sealed when Tokugawa Ieyasu requested on his deat...
