Tokyo has a close relationship to water. From its earliest days as a city, its many rivers large and small have been well utilized and often diverted to form various canals and other waterways as well. Early Western visitors even went so far as to refer to Tokyo as the Venice of the East. While … Continue reading A Chance to Explore Some Tokyo Waterways
Jomyo-in sits between Ueno's National Museum and Yanaka Cemetery, yet it feels off the beaten track and perhaps even somewhat forgotten. A 17th century Tendai sect Buddhist temple that began its life as accommodation for monks associated with nearby Kanei-ji temple, Jomyo-in's principle claim to fame these days is the thousands of stone jizo statues … Continue reading Jizo by the thousands at Jomyo-in
I previously introduced jizo, a bodhisattva especially popular in Japan as the guardian and protector of children and travelers. Small statues of jizo can be found all over Japan. In many locations, the donors who place the statues do so as a good deed, a way to earn merit, the reward for which is manifested … Continue reading Six Jizo to watch over Edo
Nori, those paperlike sheets of dried seaweed, are popular in Japan as a tasty snack, as well as featuring in sushi and other famous Japanese dishes. But the stuff doesn't grow on trees! Or does it? Rows of dark rectangles in the water--telltale signs of seaweed farming are portrayed in Hiroshige woodblock prints of the … Continue reading Nori making: insights into a staple of Japanese cuisine
Tomioka Hachiman Shrine sits in the historic Fukagawa district of Tokyo, a neighborhood that developed and flourished during the Tokugawa shogunate (1602-1868) when Tokyo was known as Edo. Indeed, the history of the shrine, founded in 1627, is inextricably tied to that of Edo. Edo began its life as a fishing village wedged between rivers … Continue reading Tomioka Hachiman Shrine: conflicts, cartography, and other “stuff”
Ikegami, less than 20 minutes from Gotanda on the Tokyu Ikegami trainline, is a major Buddhist center, but also a bit of a hidden treasure. Not many foreign tourists manage to get here, but they should. As an interesting "local" neighborhood and a major collection of temples, it even beats Asakusa and its Sensoji temple … Continue reading Archaeology and other surprises in Ikegami
If you are strolling in the Ginza/Yurakucho area of Tokyo or even riding a JR train heading south from Tokyo station, chances are that you will notice the striking shape of the Glass Building of the Tokyo International Forum. Some seven stories tall, most of it a "sundrenched atrium", its super-structure resembles the ribs of … Continue reading Tokyo International Forum: a different kind of community center
New Year's Day 2019 in Tokyo dawned clear and relatively warm (high of 11C/52F), perfect weather for getting out for a little excursion in search of some luck for the new year. My favorite such activity is a seven lucky gods pilgrimage. It is said that the seven lucky gods sail into harbor on new … Continue reading The Tamagawa Seven Lucky Gods: a bit of local luck
This article describes a seven lucky gods pilgrimage, a short walk popular in the New Year's season as a means to secure good fortune for the new year. This walk is in Tsurumi, a northern coastal part of Yokohama city, and includes part of the old Tokaido Road. (Archived article – Originally published by Japan … Continue reading Seeking out seven lucky gods in Tsurumi
There are times when you feel like a bit of a walk, but you don't have much time. Or maybe the weather isn't cooperating--too cold or too hot for any kind of prolonged expedition. But still you want to get some fresh air and do something other than wander through shops. Tokyo offers lots of … Continue reading Omori to Oimachi: an historical suburban exploration
Japan has world heritage-listed cuisine; Japanese people, it seems, are always thinking about food. So perhaps it is little wonder that "food tours" have become popular with visitors to Japan. Even though I am not a "foodie", when a friend invited me to join the Arigato Japan Food Tours "Flavors of Japan" tour, I couldn't … Continue reading Food tour: a different way to explore Japan
What is it about Manneken Pis--the statue/fountain of a little boy peeing--that makes it so popular in Japan? While the original is in Brussels, Belgium, Japan hosts no fewer than seven replica statues and innumerable effigies. For many Tokyo commuters, they can catch sight of the little guy daily at the south end of JR … Continue reading Boys will be boys – the Japanese fascination with Manneken Pis
