Area Matsushima The name Matsushima conjures ancient images – clusters of rugged, pine-clad islets in a snowy winter mist or framed in a glittering bay and magnificent summer sunset. Though the islands are..
Culture Hirosaki: Fujita Memorial Garden Andrew Checkley Whether you favour the Eastern or Western way of tea, these charming gardens make for a pleasant rest from Hirosaki's main tourist..
Culture Hiraizumi: Chuson-ji Andrew Checkley On a wooded hill in Iwate, you can find the unfaded remnants of an ancient golden age.
Accommodation Osorezan Andrew Checkley The Shimokita Peninsula's Osorezan is an ancient holy site, an unusual landscape and a remarkable experience.
Beauty & Spa Scenic Kawaguchiko Andrew Checkley Of the five lakes cooling Mt. Fuji’s toes, Kawaguchiko is the most popular and most developed.
8 Culture Shiroishi Festival Reenactment Andrew Checkley Samurai battle to-and-fro across the grounds, traditional Kyudo archers fill the air, arquebuse volleys deafen audiences and ninjas..
Culture Shiroishi Oni Kajuro Festival Andrew Checkley The small but perfectly built Shiroishi Castle makes for a pleasant trip all year round, though it comes to life as at no other..
Culture History of Hiraizumi Andrew Checkley This quiet corner of Iwate was once the cultural and commercial heart of nearly a third of Japan.