Culture Yatsuhashi Sweets Making in Kyoto Noro Randria Kyoto is famous for wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets. At Yatsuhashi-an, buy some as a souvenir or, even better, make your own..
Temples & Shrines Daigoji Temple in Kyoto Peter Sidell Daigoji (醍醐寺) is a Buddhist temple found in an attractive forest setting in the ancient capital of Kyoto. An exquisite trad..
15 Temples & Shrines Meguro Ward's Otori Shrine Justin Velgus Otori does have an interesting but complicated history of conquered barbarians, ancient birds, and the power of prayer, but y..
Culture Tanabe Festival 2026 Jul 24th - Jul 25th The Tanabe Festival takes place every year on the 24th and 25th of July in Tanabe City. During the festivities various processions..
Culture 2 Days of Food & Culture in Aizu, Fukushima Celine Ong The westernmost region of Aizu in Fukushima embodies the spirit of the Japanese countryside. Surrounded by mountains and valleys,..
15 Temples & Shrines The Temples and Shrines of Kasai Peter Sidell Close to Kasai station in eastern Tokyo, a cluster of around ten temples makes for a pleasant place to stroll around, with a variety..
Culture The Migawari-Zaru of Naramachi Fiona Yoshitake Take a ramble through the old streets of Naramachi and see if you can spot some Migawari-zaru, a well preserved tradition of yesteryear...
Culture Shinjuku Gyoen Greenhouse Elena Lisina The popular Shinjuku Gyoen Greenhouse deserves special attention as it has a large collection of exotic plants.