Culture The History of Hirosaki Castle Andrew Checkley As a castle town, Hirosaki was built around this defensive structure and status symbol - today a tower sat in an extensive compound..
Culture Toro Archeological Site Katrina Webber The Toro Archeological site was one of the first well preserved locations discovered providing perspective on Yayoi-era (300BC to..
Transportation Flight to Okinawa Varsha Vaswati A rendezvous with the domestic air travel to and from Naha, Okinawa.
Culture Zama Sunflower Festival 2026 Early - Mid Aug Zama's Sunflower Festival in July & August boasts 550,000 blooms. Flowers, music & a range of Sunflower products.
Culture Shiratori Shrine Matthew Eynon Tucked away in the village of Nagara, a suburb of Tenri City, is a Shinto shrine named Shiratori that predates the Nara Period (710-794)..
Culture Chōgaku-ji Temple Matthew Eynon Located on the Yamanobe Path at the foot of Mt. Ryūō-zan in Yanagimoto-cho, Tenri City is the Chōgaku-ji Temple, reportedly bu..
Culture Paths Less Traveled – Ryūō-zan Matthew Eynon The summit of Mt. Ryūō is difficult to reach, but well worth the hike. It is often billed as a Health Trail.