Historical Takato Castle Ruins Park Bryan Baier A park with more than 1500 pink sakura trees where Takato Castle once stood. It's on the list of 100 best sakura viewing locations..
25 Culture Beppu Kamado Jigoku Diagoras Kalaitzoglou Detailed insight of Kamado Jigoku, the Cooking Pot Hell of Beppu. Boiling mud, cobalt and silky blue ponds, steambaths, footbath..
Culture Shimoichi Hatsuichi Festival 2026 Thursday - Feb 12th Supermarkets and convenience stores are modern-day conveniences, but historically, hatsuichi (first market) events were places to..
Culture Arita Hina Pottery Festival 2026 Feb 7th - Mar 8th The Arita Hina Pottery Festival has been running for almost 20 years now, and visitors can explore a variety of traditional hina..
Culture Haisai Festival 2026 Early May Haisai translates to hello in the Okinawan dialect, and the Haisai Festival in Kawasaki has celebrated Okinawan culture for 20 years..
Culture Reizan: the Sake of Kumamoto Yui Yamaguchi Reizan is an iconic sake brand in Kumamoto. Located in Takamori-machi at the bosom of Mt. Aso, it has been making sake since 1762,..
Historical Yakuō-in Temple on Mt. Takao, Tokyo Todd Wojnowski Yakuo-in features beautifully decorated and colored structures spread across multiple levels on the face of Mt. Takao in western..
8 Culture Meigetsuin Temple’s Hydrangeas Steve Morton Come and explore Kamakura’s Meigetsuin Temple where you can lose yourself amongst the bustling crowds and beautiful sea of vib..