Have you heard of Koyasan? Koyasan (Mount Koya) is a large temple settlement in Wakayama prefecture which is located south of Osaka. There is no mountain called “Koya” but Koyasan, located on an 800-meter-high plain, is the name of the area that is surrounded by eight peaks of mountain. Koyasan is a sacred place of […]
Category: Culture/History
Introducing culture/history of Japan
Tomo Museum in Tokyo The Kikuchi Kanjitsu Memorial, Tomo Museum of Art opened in 2003 on a quiet hill in Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, to introduce contemporary ceramic art based on the collection of Tomo Kikuchi (1923-2016), the founder of the museum and a collector of contemporary ceramic art. The site was the base for the […]
Marunouchi/Otemachi area is the financial city of Tokyo. Not far from the Tokyo station, two areas are located right next to each other with a lot of skyscrapers which are mostly financial institutions such as banks, broker-dealers, and insurance companies. You may think it is boring to be in the financial city if you are […]
Children’s Day May 5th is a Children’s Day (Boy’s festival) in Japan and we hang up the carp streamers called “Koinobori” on Children’s day. Parents display “Koinobori” hoping that their children will grow up healthy and strong. The origin of “Koinobori” is a historical event in ancient China. It’s said that a carp was the […]
Today I would like to introduce spectacular fruit, vegetable, and soap carving that my friend exhibited in March. She teaches fruit carving in Japan after she studied it in Thailand. The fruit carving is an art which requires techniques to carve the fruits and vegetables perfectly and intricately. The carving transforms fruits such as apples […]
What is Fugu Nabe? Fugu Nabe is Puffer fish hotpot that is commonly eaten in Japan. Just like a normal Japanese style hotpot, Fugu Nabe has puffer fish in it together with other vegitables. The taste of puffer fish is very subtle but the texture itself is quite unique and a little chewy. Normally, if […]
Mt. Nokogiri in Chiba Prefecture Mt. Nokogiri is located in Chiba Prefecture and is not that high (only 329m) but has amazing view from the top of the mountain. Hiking up to the mountain does not take more than one and a half hours but there is a lot of amazing spots to stop by […]
It has been a while since I last updated the article here.. Today, I wanted to share some of the Kabuki performances that I saw this month. Urashima This is one of the most famous folktales in Japan called Urashima. Urashima Taro, the protagonist of a Japanese fairy tale, who in a typical modern version […]
Kabukiza Theater Have you been to Kabukiza Theater in Higashi Ginza in Tokyo? This is where you can enjoy Kabuki performance in Tokyo. The program changes every month which is performed by various famous Kabuki actors. Under the COVID-19 pandemic, the theater places a one-seat buffer to the left and right of the seat. Wearing […]
Today I’d like to introduce one-day hiking course in Nagatoro, Saitama prefecture. The total hiking time is around 3.5 hours which takes you to the top of Hodo mountain. You can also take a cable car on your way down to the station after hiking up to the top of the mountain so this hiking […]