One of the many things I love about winter in Japan is that it is the season when plum trees bloom (at least in the coastal areas). I admire the tenacity of those little flowers, which open themselves in the dead of winter and continue to bloom--and send their pretty fragrance into the cold winter … Continue reading Plum Blossoms: Harbingers of Spring
Ninja! Black-garbed fighters stealing through the darkness to engage in acts of espionage and subterfuge, combined with acrobatic fighting. Like many stereotypical images, this is an over-generalization that misses many of subtle aspects of these "warriors in the shadows". Nonetheless, Ninja are somewhat romantic figures and it's fun to search out traces of these Edo-period … Continue reading Ninja: spies with secrets and cool moves
On February 3 in Japan we celebrated "Setsubun" (division between seasons). This little traditional holiday (no, we don't get the day off work) seems to have derived from Chinese New Year, arriving in Japan around the eighth century. Unlike Chinese New Year, though, the date of the holiday is now fixed. Most of Japan's other … Continue reading Spilling the beans on Setsubun
On a clear winter's day in 1634, Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, was riding his horse south of Edo Castle, together with a number of retainers. He was returning to the castle from having worshipped at Zojoji Temple, a major temple complex with which the Tokugawa family have a long and … Continue reading Atago Hill – success is on the rise
Dorokyo Gorge is a deep valley carved by the waters of the Kitayama River. The gorge sits in the Yoshino-Kumano National Park at the point where Wakayama, Nara and Mie prefectures meet on the Kii Peninsula. The vertical cliffs at the deepest part of the gorge make it difficult to access...unless you go in by … Continue reading Amazing Scenery in Dorokyo Gorge
Earlier this week I was privileged to attend a Tokyo preview screening of Silence, Martin Scorsese's film adaptation of Shusaku Endo's 1966 novel. I had read the novel more than 30 years ago and am pleased to see it brought to life relatively faithfully. The story centers on a fictitious 17th century Jesuit priest, Father … Continue reading Silence: On the trail of Japan’s Hidden Christians
I ease my freshly scrubbed self into the hotel's large bath. It's very hot, but not so hot that I am unable to sit myself down. I immerse up to my chin, close my eyes and sigh. La dolce far niente! Although I'm not in Italy, this is the phrase that runs through my mind … Continue reading Taking the waters at Kusatsu Onsen
It is a few seconds past midnight. The temple bell rings once, its low sonorous tone echoing across the heads of the people in the crowd gathered at the foot of the belfry. The priest who had rung the bell steps out of the belfry, bows to the crowd and says "akemashite omedeto gozaimasu" (happy … Continue reading Magic at midnight: Seeing in the new year Japanese style
This article takes readers on a walk to visit Japan's seven lucky gods at shrines and temples in the historic Yanaka neighborhood of Tokyo. Such walks are a popular new year's activity, said to bring luck and fortune to participants. (Archived article - Originally published by Japan Today.)
This article takes readers on a seven lucky gods pilgrimage through the Yanaka area, a Tokyo neighborhood popular with tourists, although most probably miss many of these sights. Learn more in this article. (Archived article originally published by Japan Today.)
If Santa and his elves find themselves overwhelmed with preparing and delivering Christmas packages, they would do well to turn to Haneda Chronogate for help. Opened in 2013, Haneda Chronogate is the flagship facility of Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd. (also known as "kuro neko"), the shipping firm that first conceived and developed TA-Q-BIN, express package … Continue reading Haneda Chronogate – package processing to rival the North Pole
You can feel it in the air, even in Tokyo. Christmas is coming. Tokyo gets itself into the Christmas spirit with festive lighting displays on major thoroughfares, shopping centers and tower complexes as well as seasonal decorations in department stores and other public venues. And from December 16 to 25, Hibiya Park is host to … Continue reading The Tokyo Christmas Market – another Hibiya Park triumph
Jigsaw Japan 