Culture Takumi no Sato Takumi no Sato is a handicraft village in the midst of rice fields and apple orchards in the foothills of the Minakami Mountains. There are more than..
Historical Nihonmatsu Castle Ruins & Gardens Sarah Chaney Nihonmatsu Castle in Fukushima Prefecture is a beautiful garden incorporated into castle ruins, with trails leading past ponds,..
Festivals Iwamizawa Hyakumochi Festival 2026 Mid Sep Each autumn, Iwamizawa in Hokkaido comes alive with the Hyakumochi Festival, the city's largest event dedicated to mochi.
Anime & Manga Wolf Children Ame and Yuki's house Martyn Bissett Wolf Children was a 2012 Japanese animation movie directed by Mamoru Hosoda and this was their family home, and the setting for..
Culture Bansuiso Most might not expect to find a French-style villa below Matsuyama Castle, but this elegant construction offers a respite from the bustling town center..
Culture Holy Resurrection Cathedral Todd Wojnowski Nicolai-do, of the Japanese Orthodox Church, has a Byzantine architectural style and large, green domed roof that makes it an unusual..
12 Temples & Shrines Daisho-in Buddhist Temple, Miyajima Nicole Bauer The setting of the various temple buildings of Daisho-in Buddhist temple in Miyajima that is quite dramatic and I felt like I was..