This article takes readers on a walk to visit Japan's seven lucky gods at shrines and temples in the Minato neighborhood of Tokyo. Such walks are a popular new year's activity, said to bring luck and fortune to participants. This walk can only be done for that purpose between New Year's Day and Coming of … Continue reading The seven lucky gods of Minato: A different perspective on a well-known Tokyo district
In traditional Japan there are many rituals observed relating to seeing out the old year and successfully bringing in the new one. Sometimes these rituals, most of which occur in December, also involve acquiring “lucky charms” of various sorts. Asakusa, a venerable Tokyo neighbourhood known for its efforts to preserve traditions, is a particularly good … Continue reading Good fortune is child’s play at the Asakusa Hagoita Ichi
Who doesn't love a good open air market? And this time of year, German-style Christmas markets are particularly popular in Japan. The lights, music, and festive atmosphere are great to put one in the mood for Christmas. Last year I visited the Tokyo Christmas Market at Hibiya Park, which is on again this year through … Continue reading Christmas spirit in Yokohama
I remember well the first time I visited Yanaka Cemetery. It was 25 years ago and I was in Tokyo on a business trip, planning to stay over for the weekend to catch up with my graduate school roommate who was then living in Yanaka. Following her instructions, I got off the train at Nippori … Continue reading Yanaka Cemetery – seasonal serenity
Tokyo has a few interesting older homes that are open to the public and many, many art museums. My favorite place that ticks both boxes is the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, colloquially known as Prince Asaka's palace, and I've written about it before. As a museum, Prince Asaka's palace sometimes closes while new exhibits … Continue reading Decoration and Art Deco
This article describes two special features of north central Tokyo: Rikugien Garden and Toyo Bunko Oriental Library. Autumn leaves and nighttime illumination make late November an especially good time to visit Rikugien and a special Marco Polo exhibition at nearby Toyo Bunko is also a great experience. (Archived article – Originally published by Japan Today.)
In spite of the excessive and unseasonable rain these days, there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy autumn leaves, especially in the clear skies immediately after a storm. A mountain with a cable car to whisk you much of the way up, enjoying the leaves beneath you as you climb, and nice trails once … Continue reading Marunuma Kogen: Altitude and Autumn Leaves
I find the Ikegami area of Tokyo historically fascinating and generally interesting as a microcosm of residential Tokyo. I’ve written elsewhere about the neighborhood and about the o-eshiki ceremony that commemorates the life and death of the Buddhist saint, Nichiren (1222-1282) every year on the night of October 12. But this year, I was privileged … Continue reading An inside look at the O-eshiki commemoration of Saint Nichiren
While sericulture was first developed in China about 4,500 years ago, Japan has also been producing silk since around the third century. Silk's heyday in Japan was during the Meiji Period (1868-1912), when it became one of Japan's first industrially mass-produced export products. The center of Japan's silk industry has long been Gunma Prefecture, which … Continue reading The Tomizawa Family Farmhouse – late 18th century “cottage industry”
This article describes a Tokyo walk from Takebashi to Hongo, exploring many aspects of Japan's educational traditions--including several of its universities founded in the 19th century--as well as some other historical treasures along the way. (Archived article - Originally published by Japan Today.)
In modern day Tokyo, Shinagawa is a neighborhood considered quite central in the city. But during the Edo Period, Shinagawa was outside the Edo city limits. It was a "post-town" on the Tokaido Road that connected Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto. There were 53 such post-towns on the Tokaido--places where travellers on the road could … Continue reading Shinagawa celebrates its Edo Period roots
Japanese love their noodles! From steaming bowls of ramen or udon, to mounds of yakisoba fresh off the griddle and dripping with tangy sauce, to bamboo trays of buckwheat soba noodles for dipping into a salty soy sauce-based soup, noodles are a dietary staple here. Not as common or well-known is somen--long, thin, wheat-based noodles, … Continue reading Somen: Slippery summer noodles worthy of slurping
Jigsaw Japan 