I recently had the opportunity to visit Kurayoshi, an historic merchant town in Tottori Prefecture that I had not been to since 2018. Click here for a piece that I wrote back then, to help you get better acquainted with this delightful little town. On my recent trip, I once again wandered the streets of … Continue reading Brew Lab: A modern micro-brewery in an historic district
Christmas Markets continue to be a popular Tokyo attraction. This year there are a couple of markets close enough to each other that you can have an afternoon/evening out and hit both, with a little photo-op stop at Tokyo Tower in between. Azabudai Hills, one of Tokyo's newest shopping/office/residential complexes, hosts a Christmas market in … Continue reading Christmas Markets in the shadow of Tokyo Tower
This article, originally published in Number 1 Shimbun, takes readers to the sites of three WWII-era military bases on the Japanese island of Kyushu, and examines the activities on those bases, especially in the last months of the war. (Archived article from Number 1 Shimbun)
This article takes readers on a visit to a reconstructed Jomon (14,000 BCE-300BCE) hamlet on the site of an archaeological dig in Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu. The Jomon are the most ancient of Japan's prehistoric humans and finding sites related to them in the southern part of Japan is rare, making this a … Continue reading Digging into Jomon history in Kagoshima
This article takes visitors on a day trip to an outdoor architectural park in Kawasaki featuring centuries-old traditional wooden houses from eastern Japan, as well as opportunities to experience some traditional crafts common in that time period. (Archived article first published in Japan Today.)
This Japan Today article takes readers on a visit to an ancient, and historically significant, hot spring in Kyushu. (Archived article originally published in Japan Today.)
This article in Japan Today takes a look at the man whose face is on Japan's newest JPY10,000 bill and introduces a number of places in Tokyo where his legacy can still be seen. (Archived article in Japan Today.)
This article features a Western-style Japanese palace with plenty of Japanese symbolism blended into the design and decor. (Archived article first published in Japan Today)
This Japan Today article features a venerable mountainside temple with a history that pre-dates Buddhism in Japan and exudes a sense of mystery and serenity. (Archived article in Japan Today)
This Japan Today article introduces two festivals celebrating iris blooms in late May and early June. The festivals take place in close proximity, on either side of the Tone River. (Archived article in Japan Today)
This Japan Today article introduces a shrine associated with an emperor who died suddenly and the empress who went on to fulfill his legacy. (Archived article)
This article in Japan Today introduces an off-the-beaten-track green space in Kumamoto that has deep historical connections to a number of individuals from Japan's feudal era. (Archived article)
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