This Japan Today article introduces several of the highlights of a visit to the Yamanashi Prefecture wine-producing region of Katsunuma. It's only a couple of hours from Tokyo, with beautiful landscapes, interesting wineries, and surprising history. (Archived article originally published in Japan Today)
This article in Japan Today takes readers to Atami's Kinomiya Shrine, a picturesque location steeped in legend. (Archived article published in Japan Today).
This article in Japan Today introduces Shokoji, a hilltop temple near Toyama Bay. The temple is a fascinating example of Edo Period architecture (Archived article published in Japan Today).
This article in Japan Today outlines the history and craftsmanship of gold leaf, 99% of which is produced in Kanazawa. (Archived article published in Japan Today.)
The heat and humidity of the Japanese summer leaves many people looking for a bit of elevation to catch whatever cooling breeze might be available. For people in the Kanto region, one such pleasant respite can be found in a few hours spent at Izu Panorama Park. The park sits atop Mt. Katsuragi at the … Continue reading Staying on Top: Izu Panorama Park
This article in Japan Today describes how the city of Toyama has leveraged its glass-blowing history into support for modern glass art. (Archived article published in Japan Today.)
This article introduces leisure and sightseeing at Lake Suwa, Nagano's largest lake. It also describes the Suwa Grand Shrines, their history and their major festival, the Onbashira Festival, which takes place in April and May every six years (including in 2022). (Archived article – Originally published by Japan Today.)
Grapes have been cultivated in Japan since at least the eighth century, but it was not until 1879 that the first grape wine was produced. By lucky coincidence, the location of Japan's earliest wine production, and still one of Japan's major wine producing regions, Katsunuma in Yamanashi Prefecture, is just an hour and a half … Continue reading A Winter Weekend in Wine Country
This article introduces a bit about famed military genius, Shingen Takeda, and his “domain”. Fascinating guy and fun places to visit where there are still signs of him five centuries after he lived. (Archived article – Originally published by Japan Today.)
There are five lakes skirting the northern base of Mt. Fuji, Japan's iconic highest mountain. These lakes are the result of rivers dammed by lava flowing from the Fuji volcano in eruptions of centuries past. Today they are all popular recreation areas. Lake Kawaguchi (a/k/a Kawaguchi-ko) is the northernmost of these lakes, and the second … Continue reading Looking for Seven Lucky Gods at One of the Fuji Five Lakes
"A fancy took me to go to Noto. ...[I]t was a case of love at first sight." These are the first words in Percival Lowell's 1891 travelogue "Noto: An Unexplained Corner of Japan". Like Lowell, I've always been intrigued by Noto, on the map a little crooking finger jutting north off the coast of Honshu … Continue reading Noto Peninsula: More armchair travel and memories
The city of Matsumoto sits almost exactly in the center of the island of Honshu, in the middle of the Japanese Alps. It is a castle town that, thanks to its central location, has long been a political and cultural center. Thanks to its central location, these days many people pass through Matsumoto in winter … Continue reading Exploring Japan’s early modern history in Matsumoto
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