Many Chinese cities feature a pond around which there are walkways and parkland where people can relax and connect with nature in spite of being in the city. Such publicly accessible ponds are not common in Japanese cities, where instead the historic strolling gardens usually had carefully sculpted water features. Senzoku-ike, just 9 minutes on … Continue reading Senzoku-ike: a suburban escape
Japan doesn't have a lot of mineral resources, but has done its best to exploit what there is. The copper mine at Ashio, in the Watarase valley of western Tochigi Prefecture, is a great example of that. Although the mine was closed in 1973 after three centuries in operation, it is now open to visitors … Continue reading The Ashio Copper Mine: digging through history
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
This article describes various lessons one can take while visiting Okinawa (including karate, glass blowing and pottery-making) to get a real taste of the culture of the islands. (Archived article originally published by Japan Today.)
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
This article describes a walk through Mariko-juku, formerly a Tokaido post town and now a Shizuoka suburb. Try out the walk to discover a bit of history! (Archived article originally published by Japan Today.)
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
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