Cathy Cawood

@cathy.cawood

I fell in love with Japan long before I came here in 2003 to teach English, and it has proved to be a lasting romance. I love the history, the traditional architecture, the food, the strange and sometimes ridiculous contrasts, and the beautiful countryside. I lived in Shiga prefecture for one year, and in Kyoto for nine years, and now I live in Machida in Tokyo. I've traveled a little in Japan, but not nearly as much as I'd like to. I like traveling by train, but my favorite way to travel is bicycle.

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Transportation

Otsuki Station in Yamanashi

Fujikyuko Railway Connection If you want to visit Lake Kawaguchi with its views of Mount Fuji by train, you will need to transfer from JR Chuo Line to Fujikyuko Railway at Otsuki Station. The journey from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko is 26,6 kilometers, an..

Yamanashi

Yamanashi Prefecture

There are so many reasons to visit Yamanashi Prefecture... and return there again and again! It is so close to Tokyo, you can easily travel there on a day trip. Let me introduce you to some of Yamanashi's attractions. History There is a lot of ..

Yamanashi

The Landscape of Aokigahara Forest

I can't tell you what Fugaku Lava Cave is like because we decided not to go in, having just come from visiting Naruawa Ice cave where we nearly froze in our thin summer windbreakers. However we did walk along the forest path as far as the entranc..

Yamanashi 2

Culture

Shirahige Shrine

Many people are familiar with the big red torii standing in the sea on Miyajima, but Lake Biwa also has a "floating" torii. It is located on the western side of Lake Biwa, at Shirahige Shrine near Takashima. Although it is much smaller than..

Shiga 6

Culture

Takao Komagino Garden

Takao Komagino Teien is an old traditional Japanese house and garden on the outer edge of Tokyo. It is completely free to visit, and is definitely worth your time. You can wander freely around inside appreciating details of traditional Japanese archi..

Tokyo 4

Culture

Shitodo Cave

If you follow a narrow path bordered with small statues and stone lanterns through the trees up the hillside, you will find a cool, mossy cave with a tiny waterfall and many small statues. After losing a battle against the Heike clan, Genji general Y..

Kanagawa 2

Culture

Kinomiya Shrine's Ancient Tree

There are many very old trees in Japan, and they are honored and even worshiped. It seems strange to my western mind that people pray to trees and believe they can receive luck, healing or longevity. However when I went to Kinomiya Shrine in Atami to..

Shizuoka 77 3

Culture

Buddhist Statues at Moto-Hakone

At certain times in history travel through the landscape of Hakone was not for the faint of heart. The bleak, ashy landscape scattered with volcanic rock and steaming vents looked like hell to travelers in the area. From the Kamakura Era, Moto-Hakone..

Kanagawa

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Culture

Wagashi Making in Matsue

Kim B Jun 15, 2018

Japan is known for having plenty of delicious foods to enjoy - and foods that not only taste great, but ones that are often aesthetically pleasing as well. Perhaps the most beautiful to look at are wagashi, or Japanese sweets. These traditional confe..

Shimane 64 2

Culture

Tori-no-Ichi

Gloria Ticconi Nov 14, 2016

The rooster is the tenth symbol in the Japanese zodiac. In Japanese it is often called tori, and it is associated with gain and business fortune. Days of the roster occur every 12 days in November and generally the first day of the Tori is most impor..

Tokyo 4

Culture

Taiko in Shimogo

Tom Roseveare Sep 27, 2016

Passing through Fukushima's Shimogo district this summer, home to one of the prefecture's top destinations in Ouchi-juku, I had the opportunity to watch a local taiko group perform their craft this past summer. Formed in 1987, Shimogo's ..

Fukushima 2

Activity

Mount Takagawa's Azalea

Steve Morton Aug 1, 2016

Famous for its cherry blossoms in springtime, hydrangeas in summer, and autumn colors, Japan’s colorful seasons are relatively easy to predict for most travelers. With this fact in mind, I arrived at the foot of Mount Takagawa in eastern Yaman..

Yamanashi

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