It is often observed that Japan borrows ideas and technologies from various sources, adapting them to suit Japanese needs and sensibilities, essentially making them Japanese. Paper, one of Japan's earliest borrowings from China, is no exception. Japanese paper is nothing short of amazing. Traditional hand-made washi paper is lovely and soft; fun to make and … Continue reading Origami Kaikan: a chance to explore the folds and layers of paper
August in Japan is always a time when television programming is replete with movies and documentaries about World War II. It was on August 15, 1945 (JST), that the Japanese officially surrendered to the Allies, thus ending the Pacific War. That fact, combined with the fact that August is traditionally a time when Japanese people … Continue reading One impact of war, the desire for peace
Who doesn't love a performing clock, with various figurines that dance or move at appointed times throughout the day? In Tokyo there are a number of such clocks, including the Marionette Clock at Ebisu Garden Place and the Mullion Musical Clock outside the Hankyu Men's Store in Yurakucho. But perhaps the busiest and most intricate … Continue reading Nittele Big Clock: a Ghibli-inspired clock like no other
These days we hear a lot about recycling to reduce waste and ease pressure on the environment. Nishi-Rokugo Park, also known as Tire Park, is a great example of turning waste items into something both useful and fun. In this suburban playground/park, more than 3,000 tires are repurposed into whimsical shapes and playground equipment to … Continue reading Never get tired of recycling at Nishi-Rokugo Park
On January 22, 1954, a 25 meter long wooden fishing boat named Dai-go Fukuryu-maru (in English "F/V Lucky Dragon #5") set sail from Yaizu, a fishing port in Shizuoka, Japan, with a crew of 23. The boat was scheduled to be at sea for approximately two months, making a clockwise sweep around an area of … Continue reading The not-so-Lucky Dragon – “fallout” from nuclear testing
Japan has several centuries of history in the use of decorative glassware, with a particular flowering of the craft in the 18th and 19th century. Among the glass arts practiced in Japan that tourists can also try their hands at are glass blowing, cut glass (known as "Edo Kiriko"), and sand blasting. The Tokyo Glass … Continue reading Glass art in Ota-ku
For some in Japan, the spectre of leprosy seems to spark fear, even in the 21st century, more than eight decades after a cure for the disease was developed. The National Hansen’s Disease Museum in Tokyo’s Higashi Murayama City was founded to promote public understanding and de-stigmatize the disease. The museum's location is adjacent to … Continue reading The Legacy of Leprosy in Japan
Japan is full of onsen (hot springs) towns at which, needless to say, the primary enjoyment for visitors is a nice hot soak. But tourists these days often want more to do than just bathe, even when visiting an onsen town. In the little onsen town of Yugawara, just over an hour from Tokyo between … Continue reading Alternative onsen enjoyment – tour a cookie factory
For centuries, Japanese gardens have been places to stroll, enjoying greenery and seasonal changes set off by a central pond. We often think of such gardens as dating to the age of sophisticated samurai, who wrote poetry under a full moon or performed tea ceremony in little huts. Yet many fine classic gardens were actually … Continue reading Sankeien – a classic garden and classic architecture
Fujisawa, about an hour by train from central Tokyo, has a long history as a traveller's way station, including during the 250 years that the Tokaido was the major coastal road for travellers between Kyoto and Edo (now Tokyo). Even before the Tokugawa shogunate, Fujisawa was popular with travelers bound for Enoshima and Oyama, popular … Continue reading Historical Fujisawa – the often overlooked Tokaido Post Town
Every two years, in odd-numbered years, Tokyo sees one of the three largest festivals in Japan, the Kanda Matsuri of Kanda Myojin Shrine. This year, the biggest, most spectacular part of the festival is this week-end: May 11 and 12. Saturday, May 11 is the main procession, when Kanda Myojin's o-mikoshi, portable shrines, are paraded … Continue reading Kanda Matsuri: a major spectacle not to be missed
Every year between April 29 and May 5 Japan celebrates "Golden Week", four public holidays over a period of seven days. This year, 2019, thanks to the abdication of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and the ascension to the throne of Emperor Naruhito, the government declared additional holidays, giving people in Japan a 10-day "Platinum Week": April … Continue reading Commemorating Japan’s Post-war Constitution
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