Hikone Castle, overlooking the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, is one of only 12 original castles in Japan. But how original is a castle said to be made largely of materials recycled from other, earlier castles? The answer is, pretty darned original. Hikone castle was completed in 1622, after nearly 20 years of construction. It … Continue reading Hikone Castle: a recycled original
The Shinohara family of Utsunomiya were a long-established mercantile family and a visit to their beautifully-preserved home, just minutes from Utsunomiya, offers insights into how successful merchants lived, as well as into the architectural styles of late 19th century Japan. As one might expect of a large family home in this area, it is faced … Continue reading The Old Shinohara Family Home: glimpse into the lives of Meiji Period merchants
I find it fun, when visiting a large city, to learn as much as possible about what drives it and what makes it tick. For a city such as Tokyo, an economic powerhouse (even after 3 decades of a relatively stagnant economy), one place to learn more is the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the heart of … Continue reading The Tokyo Stock Exchange: investment as sightseeing
This article introduces sites related to Oya stone, a pumice stone quarried near Utsunomiya in Tochigi Prefecture. The stone and the sites are fascinating; its an easy place to visit as a day trip from Tokyo, or as a stopover on the way to Nikko. (Archived article originally published by Japan Today.)
A few months ago I visited the Niigata town of Tokamachi with the intention of attending a local festival. Alas, the festival was rained out and it seemed there wasn't much to do after checking out the intriguing sculptures on the high street. Fortunately, I found that Tokamachi has a wonderful city museum that proved … Continue reading Tokamachi City Museum – great on a rainy day, or when the sun shines
Jomon is the name given to Japan's prehistoric "stone age" period, thought to be from 30,000 to 2,500 years ago. The name means "rope marks" and derives from the markings on the pottery of the period. During this period the people of the archipelago went from simple hunter-gatherers to being users of tools, the beginnings … Continue reading Obsidian arrowheads and other Jomon archaeology
On September 13, 1912, shortly after the funeral cortege of the Emperor Meiji (1852-1912) left the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, General Maresuke Nogi (1849-1912) and his wife, Shizuko (1856-1912), committed ritual seppuku in the general's room of their house in Tokyo's Akasaka district, not far from the headquarters of the Japanese Imperial Army. Although it … Continue reading General Nogi’s house – symbol of the end of an era
Before industrialization, Japan was largely dependent on its rice production for survival. And the farming villages in Japan's many mountain valleys were at the center of it all. The Hida Folk Village (in Japanese Hida no Sato) on the outskirts of the Gifu town of Takayama is a wonderful place to spend a couple of … Continue reading Hida Folk Village: exploring traditional rural life
This article describes a walk through a particularly historic area of Nagoya, including an ancient tomb, a traditional garden, relicts of a Tokaido post town and a venerable shrine ranking as one of the most important in Japan. (Archived article originally published by Japan Today.)
Okinawa is Japan's tropical paradise: sun, sand and palm trees. It's also one of Japan's rainiest places. Tourists can easily find themselves caught in a cloudburst...or days of rain when there's a typhoon in the vicinity. But the intrepid tourist needn't to be deterred by a little precipitation (typhoons, of course, are another matter). When … Continue reading Shuri Castle on a rainy day
It is often observed that Japan borrows ideas and technologies from various sources, adapting them to suit Japanese needs and sensibilities, essentially making them Japanese. Paper, one of Japan's earliest borrowings from China, is no exception. Japanese paper is nothing short of amazing. Traditional hand-made washi paper is lovely and soft; fun to make and … Continue reading Origami Kaikan: a chance to explore the folds and layers of paper
August in Japan is always a time when television programming is replete with movies and documentaries about World War II. It was on August 15, 1945 (JST), that the Japanese officially surrendered to the Allies, thus ending the Pacific War. That fact, combined with the fact that August is traditionally a time when Japanese people … Continue reading One impact of war, the desire for peace
