Every December my Japan Today article details a different seven lucky gods walk, allowing my readers in the vicinity to enjoy the walk and pick up some luck for the new year. This December it's a walk in Chiba, about an hour out of Tokyo. All the best for 2023, everyone! Here is an interactive … Continue reading The Sakura Seven: A walk to gain good fortune
Zojiji Temple in Tokyo's Shiba neighborhood was once considered a guardian of the southwest entry to Edo (the old name for Tokyo). Visitors approaching the city via the Tokaido Road would have passed nearby and would, inevitably, have seen the massive awe-inspiring structures of the expansive temple complex, which was a seminary and center of … Continue reading Zojoji’s Sanmon: A Rare Look at a Gateway of Antiquities
On October 14, 1872, Japan's first passenger rail service opened, running between Yokohama (near modern-day Sakuragicho Station) and Tokyo (near modern-day Shimbashi Station). Such a milestone deserves celebration, especially one observing a service that has, in large degree, molded a nation. Certainly JR East agrees, so that Tokyo, at least, is widely decorated with posters … Continue reading Celebrating 150 years of railroads in Japan
The Chiba Prefecture city of Sakura, about an hour east of Tokyo, got its start as a castle/garrison town guarding access to Edo (pre-modern day Tokyo). Although the castle itself was torn down in the 1870s (along with most of Japan's castles) by decree of the Meiji government, the town's roots as a castle town … Continue reading The Samurai Street of Sakura
For many in Japan, Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of compassion and mercy, has also come to be associated with prayers for peace and the repose of the souls of war dead. Predictably, this association arose in the years after Japan's defeat in World War II, but the association remains these many decades after the war … Continue reading Tokyo-wan Kannon: a surprising pantheon of peace
This article for Japan Today highlights the Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park, a haven for migratory and other birds, bird watchers, and other nature lovers; located not far from Tokyo's Haneda Airport. (Archived article in Japan Today.)
Craft beers have proliferated in Japan since the deregulation of beer production in the mid-1990s. One of the early leaders in micro-brewing is Kiuchi Brewery, an Ibaraki brewery that started making sake in 1823 and first produced beer in 1996. Kiuchi Brewery's beer is branded Hitachino Nest, with a cute little owl on the label. … Continue reading Hitachino Nest: The Happiness of Beer on a Hot Summer Day
My July 2022 article for Japan Today introduces a pretty mountainside temple in northern Ibaraki prefecture that has long historical connections to the imperial line.(Archived article in Japan Today)
During the late nineteenth century, when Japan was modernizing/Westernizing, many European and American were invited to Japan to advise the government and business. One such individual was Dr. Erwin von Baelz (1849-1913), a German physician who came to Japan in 1876 to teach medicine at the Imperial University (now known as the University of Tokyo). … Continue reading A German Advisor and Japan’s Hot Spring Connection to Europe
This article explores some fascinating and surprising aspects of a stroll in the Akatsuka neighborhood of Tokyo's Itabashi-ku. (Archived article – Originally published by Japan Today)
I recently had the chance to learn about Nishinouchi Washi, which is a particularly durable form of handmade washi paper. I also learned about some of its particular uses, included turning into cloth for garments and making chochin paper lanterns. Read about it in this article in All About Japan.
Waterfalls are well known to release negative ions that boost the spirits of mere mortals who visit them. Japan is blessed with many waterfalls and so lots of negative ion opportunities. One unusually shaped waterfall worth seeking out is Fukiware Falls in northern Gunma Prefecture (almost halfway between Minakami and Nikko). The falls is in … Continue reading Fukiware Falls: unusual water bears the gift of negative ions
Jigsaw Japan 