Culture
Karuizawa Shaw Memorial Chapel
Tomoko KamishimaOwning a summer cottage in Karuizawa is now a status symbol in Japanese. But the first cottage was built by a conservative foreign..
About topic
Follow this series on following the influential footsteps of more than 20 past foreign residents of Japan, who arrived after it opened up its doors to the rest of the world in 1854. People came from across the world to Japan to do business, spread the word of God, and help Japan upgrade to a modern infrastructure.
36 results
![Karuizawa Shaw Memorial Chapel]( "Karuizawa Shaw Memorial Chapel")
![Sealed Buddhist Statue of Horyu-ji]( "Sealed Buddhist Statue of Horyu-ji")
![Kyoto Katsura Imperial Villa]( "Kyoto Katsura Imperial Villa")
![Honno-ji Temple and Oda Nobunaga]( "Honno-ji Temple and Oda Nobunaga")
![Yokohama Archives of History]( "Yokohama Archives of History")
![Yokohama’s Nojima Koen Park]( "Yokohama’s Nojima Koen Park")
![Yokohama's Yamate No.111]( "Yokohama's Yamate No.111")
![Yokohama Yamate Museum of Tennis]( "Yokohama Yamate Museum of Tennis")
![Nagasaki Glover Garden]( "Nagasaki Glover Garden")
![The Ehrismann Residence]( "The Ehrismann Residence")
![Old Shimbashi Station]( "Old Shimbashi Station")
![Asakusa’s Traditional Hagoita Fair]( "Asakusa’s Traditional Hagoita Fair")
![Hakone's Matsuzaka-ya Inn]( "Hakone's Matsuzaka-ya Inn")
![The Italia Ken Hotel in Niigata]( "The Italia Ken Hotel in Niigata")
![Nikko’s Nishi-Rokuban Park]( "Nikko’s Nishi-Rokuban Park")
![Sumida River Water Bus Route]( "Sumida River Water Bus Route")
![Nikko’s Kanaya Hotel]( "Nikko’s Kanaya Hotel")
![Nikko's Chuzen-ji Lake]( "Nikko's Chuzen-ji Lake")
![Nikko's Italian Villa Memorial Park]( "Nikko's Italian Villa Memorial Park")
![Chamberlain's Hakone Promenade]( "Chamberlain's Hakone Promenade")
![Former Iwasaki Residence & Garden]( "Former Iwasaki Residence & Garden")
![Shinagawa’s Tozen-ji Temple]( "Shinagawa’s Tozen-ji Temple")
![The Gaiety Theater & Iwasaki Museum]( "The Gaiety Theater & Iwasaki Museum")
![Walk the Old Hakone Highway]( "Walk the Old Hakone Highway")
![Yokohama Kamon-yama Park]( "Yokohama Kamon-yama Park")
![Yokohama Beer Pub, Spring Valley]( "Yokohama Beer Pub, Spring Valley")
![Negishi Racetrack Grandstands]( "Negishi Racetrack Grandstands")
![Yamate Koen Park]( "Yamate Koen Park")
![Yamate History Archives]( "Yamate History Archives")
![The Hotel New Grand’s “The Café”]( "The Hotel New Grand’s “The Café”")
![Kurihama’s Perry Park]( "Kurihama’s Perry Park")
![Memorial of the Blue-eyed Samurai]( "Memorial of the Blue-eyed Samurai")
![Yokosuka's Verny Park]( "Yokosuka's Verny Park")
![Motomachi Waterworks & Brick Works]( "Motomachi Waterworks & Brick Works")
![Enoshima's Samuel Cocking Garden]( "Enoshima's Samuel Cocking Garden")
![Yokohama Yamate's Berrick Hall]( "Yokohama Yamate's Berrick Hall")
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Culture
Sealed Buddhist Statue of Horyu-ji
Tomoko KamishimaAmong the hundreds of statues in Horyu-ji Temple, the most mysterious statue there might be Guze (Kuse) Kannon.
Culture
Kyoto Katsura Imperial Villa
Tomoko KamishimaKatsura Imperial Villa, established by Imperial Prince Toshihito (1579-1629) and Toshitada (1619-1662), has many elaborate embellishments..
Activities
Honno-ji Temple and Oda Nobunaga
Tomoko KamishimaKyoto Honno-ji Temple & Oda Nobunaga: An African samurai had a unique opportunity to serve Oda Nobunaga for a year and a half.
Culture
Yokohama Archives of History
Tomoko KamishimaThe Yokohama Archives of History stands on the place where the Convention of Kanagawa was concluded
Activities
Yokohama’s Nojima Koen Park
Tomoko KamishimaBefore Japan opened her doors to the rest of the world, the Kanazawa district in Yokohama commanded a stunning view of the wat..
Culture
Yokohama's Yamate No.111
Tomoko KamishimaThe original owner of Yamate No. 111 was John Edward Laffin (a half Japanese, half American, who managed a shipping company an..
Culture
Yokohama Yamate Museum of Tennis
Tomoko KamishimaThe items exhibited in Yamate Museum of Tennis are related to the history of tennis in Japan
Culture
Nagasaki Glover Garden
Tomoko KamishimaIn Nagasaki, there is a stylish Western house high up on a cliff in Minami Yamate, commanding a panoramic view of Nagasaki Port...
Culture
The Ehrismann Residence
Tomoko KamishimaThe Ehrismann Residence, designed by A. Raymond, is a well maintained Western house in Yokohama, Yamate
Culture
Old Shimbashi Station
Tomoko KamishimaOld Shimbashi Station represents a long-lasting bond between Britain and Japan. Restored building and “0 Mile” marker are symb..
Culture
Asakusa’s Traditional Hagoita Fair
Tomoko KamishimaAsakusa is famous for its annual year-end Hagoita (Battledore) Fair held December 17-19. It started in the late 16th century on..
Accommodation
Hakone's Matsuzaka-ya Inn
Tomoko KamishimaIf you journey to Hakone and Ashino-yu’s lovely Matsuzaka-ya inn, remember the connection between Matsuzaka-ya, Copeland, and ..
Accommodation
The Italia Ken Hotel in Niigata
Tomoko KamishimaThe Italia Ken, a long-established hotel located in Niigata city’s famous old district, Furumachi, still keeps its unique flav..
Activities
Nikko’s Nishi-Rokuban Park
Tomoko KamishimaNikko's Nishi-rokuban Park (西六番園地) is the place where the clubhouse of the Tokyo Angling and Country Club (TACC) used..
Transportation
Sumida River Water Bus Route
Tomoko KamishimaTaking a Water Bus and experiencing Tokyo from the river is a great way to grasp how water-centric this city really is.
Accommodation
Nikko’s Kanaya Hotel
Tomoko KamishimaNikko Kanaya Hotel commands the best location for access to Nikko’s World Heritage Site. You can enjoy every bit of Nikko’s ch..
Culture
Nikko's Chuzen-ji Lake
Tomoko KamishimaChuzen-ji Lake has a lot of beautiful faces, depending on the time of the day or season, the direction you are looking in, or how..
Culture
Nikko's Italian Villa Memorial Park
Tomoko KamishimaThe former Italian Embassy Villa in Nikko is now open to the public as a park. After Tochigi prefecture bought it quite recently,..
Beauty & Spa
Chamberlain's Hakone Promenade
Tomoko KamishimaBasil Hall Chamberlain spent most of his spare time in Hakone. In his memory, there is a pleasant nature trail named after him in..
Culture
Former Iwasaki Residence & Garden
Tomoko KamishimaBritish architect Josiah Conder, the father of modern Japanese architecture, was invited to Japan in 1877. The former Iwasaki ..
Culture
Shinagawa’s Tozen-ji Temple
Tomoko KamishimaTozen-ji Temple has kept its refined appearance, in spite of two horrible incidents that occurred 150 years ago.
Culture
The Gaiety Theater & Iwasaki Museum
Tomoko KamishimaThe Iwasaki Museumin Yokohama’s Yamate district stands on land that used to be known as the Gaiety Theater in 1866.
Culture
Walk the Old Hakone Highway
Tomoko KamishimaCan you believe that you can take a walk down the exact same road and see the exact same view that people did 400 year ago?
Culture
Yokohama Kamon-yama Park
Tomoko KamishimaKamon-yama Park (originally known as Railway Hill) is a famous viewing spot for cherry blossoms, only a 10-minute walk from JR Sakuragi-cho..
Nightlife
Yokohama Beer Pub, Spring Valley
Tomoko KamishimaSpring Valley is a beer restaurant inside Kirin Beer Village near Namamugi, a station on the Keihin-Kyuko Line, just 10 minutes..
Culture
Negishi Racetrack Grandstands
Tomoko KamishimaThere is a mysterious ruin at Negishi Forest Park. Three big towers stand high on a hill. They are connected to one another at the..
Culture
Yamate Koen Park
Tomoko KamishimaIf you’d like to enjoy some greenery and big trees during your stay in Yokohama, I know just the place for you: Yamate Koen Pa..
Culture
Yamate History Archives
Tomoko KamishimaOne of the preserved buildings, the Yamate History Archives (Shiryo-kan 山手資料館 ) now acts as an archive of the old Yamate ..
Food
The Hotel New Grand’s “The Café”
Tomoko KamishimaThe Café at the Hotel New Grand faithfully sticks to Weil’s original seafood doria recipe. Why don’t you try this legendary di..
Culture
Kurihama’s Perry Park
Tomoko KamishimaSince Perry came on shore at Kurihama in 1853, the history of Japan suddenly and forever changed. Perry Park is the starting point..
Activities
Memorial of the Blue-eyed Samurai
Tomoko KamishimaThe memorial stone of William Adams, the British shipmate, ship pilot, and trader that the main character in Shogun was modeled..
Culture
Yokosuka's Verny Park
Tomoko KamishimaThere is a beautiful park near JR Yokosuka Station called Verny Park. It is named after a Frenchman who came to Japan in 1865.
Culture
Motomachi Waterworks & Brick Works
Tomoko KamishimaIf you happen to come across the remains of this interesting waterworks in Motomachi, you will be so curious that you won’t be..
Culture
Enoshima's Samuel Cocking Garden
Tomoko KamishimaLocated at the top of Enoshima Island is the Samuel Cocking Gardens. The gardens themselves are not that interesting, but the story..
Culture
Yokohama Yamate's Berrick Hall
Tomoko KamishimaBerrick Hall in Yokohama's Yamate area is a beautiful old-style Spanish and art deco house.