Gunma Prefecture, some 100 kilometers north of Tokyo, has centuries of history as a silk producing area in Japan. One particular sign that you're in an area where silkworms were once raised are the rooftops of old farm houses, that have one or more raised sections along the ridgepole of the roof, a structure that … Continue reading Takayama-sha: developing the art and science of sericulture
With virus cases continuing to rise in both Japan and elsewhere, clearly it's still not a good idea to travel. So I've headed back to my collection of travelogues to see what I might find to fire my imagination and evoke my own memories. My eye fell upon Dorothy Britton's 1974 translation of "Narrow Road … Continue reading More Armchair Travel: Heading Toward Tohoku
I've written a brief commentary on the Japanese signature seal and some difficulties it has caused during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think it is inevitable that hanko use will continue to decline, it's just a question of how quick. Yet another piece of the puzzle that is Japan. (Archived article originally published by Tokyo Weekender)
This article describes an afternoon of tea tasting in Fukuoka's Hoshino-mura, not far from the place were tea was first cultivated in Japan some 800 years ago. (Archived article originally published by Japan Today)
This morning my doorbell rang just as I was finishing my hausfrau duties (dishes, laundry, etc.). It was my friendly, neighborhood Sagawa Kyubin delivery man with a small box, a care package from my friend Kana. Kana lives in her family home in Nagano Prefecture and, like many "country folk", has a big fruit and … Continue reading Making Umeshu: a sign of early summer
Although it is often said that Japanese people are change averse, if one looks closely, signs of change, both past and present, are everywhere. Sometimes the changes are extreme and other times the changes are incremental. This 5-6 km. walk through hills above Gotanda and Meguro stations into the Meguro River valley explores various changes … Continue reading Gotanda and Meguro: a walk exploring changing times
In this time when safety restrictions are slowly being relaxed and summer weather is upon us, many people want to get out a bit, while minimizing any health risks of doing so. How about a nice urban walk with plenty of history and greenery and not too many crowded places? This easy walk of about … Continue reading Walking history on the outskirts of old Edo
Nakatsu Castle, with its moats fed by tidal sea water from the Seto Inland Sea, is one of Japan's three so-called "seaside castles". The others are Takamatsu Castle in Kagawa and Imabari Castle in Ehime. Nakatsu Castle sits on the Yamakuni River delta, about half a kilometer south of the river's mouth, the tidal river … Continue reading Nakatsu Castle: provincial river guardian
There is something amazing and energizing about a waterfall. That is a scientifically-proven fact. The tumbling of the water generates negative ions, which research has shown to reduce depression and stress, boost the immune system and improve metabolism, among other benefits. Volcanic Japan has innumerable waterfalls, great and small. It doesn't take a lot of … Continue reading Let it wash over you: A sampling of Kyushu waterfalls
This travel article introduces Dejima, the man-made island in Nagasaki Harbor, where Dutch traders lived in isolation from the mid-17th to mid-19th centuries. (Archived article originally published by Japan Today)
I was asked to write something on Japan's COVID-19 situation and drew on several resources to produce this, another piece of the puzzle that is Japan. (Archived article originally published by Tokyo Weekender)
Late last December, while I was traveling in Kyushu, I received a rather mysterious message that a friend had made a dinner reservation for me at a sushi restaurant in the Oita regional fishing port of Saiki, where I was planning to overnight. The restaurant, Nishiki-zushi, was just a couple of blocks from my hotel … Continue reading Extraordinary sushi from Nishiki-zushi
