Tag: history
Iimoriyama, a Historic Hilltop in Aizuwakamatsu
Aizuwakamatsu, a picturesque town in the northern prefecture of Fukushima, played a pivotal role during the Boshin War of 1868 as one of the last samurai strongholds in Japan. Pay your respects and visit a unique Buddhist pagoda at Iimoriyama, a hill...
Serenity A Stone’s Throw Away At Tokyo’s Kiyosumi Gardens
There's no shortage of beautiful parks and green spaces in Tokyo. So, to ensure you make the most of your time in the capital, we’d recommend you start by visiting one of the Metropolitan Cultural Heritage Gardens. These nine locations each have...
Matsumoto Castle: Ninjas and Crows and Koi, Oh My!
Japan is a land of many castles—some 300 to be precise. Admittedly, they can begin to look quite similar after a time, so it’s worth knowing which ones hold particular importance. Of the 300, only twelve castles...
The Oldest Things to See in Tokyo: Ultimate Guide
While the historic aspects of Tokyo aren’t as immediately obvious as in some other Japanese cities, there’s plenty to see if you do a bit of digging. From old town areas (also known as Shitamachi) such as the Yanesen District to historic...
Oura Church: A Beacon for Christians in Nagasaki
Bernard Thaddée Petitjean - one of the founders of Oura Church
Depending on where you’re from, it’s probably not a big deal to come across a Catholic church in your travels. In Japan, though, where just 1% of the...
Dejima: Nagasaki’s Historic Dutch Trading Post
Chief Factor's residence
It's normal to feel a kind of curious magic as you step into Dejima, the open-air museum on the site of Nagasaki’s historic Dutch Trading Post. In the blink of an eye, the modern city...
Neon and Noodles at Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown
Nagasaki Chinatown is a shopping and dining district in downtown Nagasaki, rich in history and bursting with delicious local fare. For the 200-odd years that Japan’s borders were closed to foreigners during the Sakoku (closed country) policy,...
Glover Garden, Nagasaki’s Foreign Settlement
Perched atop a hill in the Minami-Yamate district, Glover Garden is one of Nagasaki’s most popular attractions. Part garden, part open-air museum, this charming spot offers great insight into the early western settlers who made Japan their...
Turkish Rice at Kyushu’s First-Ever Cafe “Tsuruchan”
I’m not the first to suggest Nagasaki’s food is a metaphor for the city itself; an exciting, and at times confusing, blend of cultures and influences. For hundreds of years, Japan has been sampling new ingredients from...
Inuyama Castle: A Glimpse into Feudal Japan
With its rich feudal history, Japan has had its fair share of castles. However, of the castles that you can visit today, only twelve are originals. An incredible example of one of these is Inuyama Castle, a National Historic Site, and an...
