Tag: Japan Forward
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park: The Perfect Wintery Day Trip
The smell of sulfur gradually seeps through the air, and steam rises up beyond the trees in Jigokudani snow monkey park. Located in a valley of the Yokoyu River in northern Nagano Prefecture, 267 km northwest of Tokyo, literally, the name means “Hell Valley”.
Sapporo Shines with 730,000 Lights This Winter
Visiting Hokkaido in winter? Head to Sapporo for some epic illuminations at the annual festival.
2021 marked the 41st Sapporo Illumination, at Odori Park, coloring the city’s winter nights with gorgeous lights. About 730,000...
Meet Daisetsuzan Mountain Range’s Panorama of Autumn Colors
Hiking in Hokkaido during autumn? Prepare for a spectacular display of colours at the Daisetsuzan Mountain Range.
Autumn leaves are changing color in Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan Mountain Range. Under a clear blue sky at Kurodake...
Suizenji Garden: Where the Art of War and Culture Resonate with One Another
One of Japan’s most renowned landscapes, Kumamoto’s Suizenji Garden is a stunning representation of engineering wisdom gained from wars and the artistic culture of the Edo era.
Suizen-ji Jōjuen (Suizenji Garden) in Kumamoto City...
Dogo Onsen: Wrapped in History and Charm
Just a short tram ride from Matsuyama city center in Ehime is Dogo Onsen, Japan’s oldest hot spring. Its main bath house has been the inspiration for the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away (2001). But despite a famous pedigree, the...
Visiting Koke-Dera, Kyoto’s Moss Temple
Formally known as Koinzan Saiho-ji, or Saihoji for short, this Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple is located in Matsuo in the western part of the Kyoto city area. With over 120 varieties of moss present in the two-tiered...
Soothing Summer Wind Chimes from Shinohara Furin
Shopping in Tokyo? Head to Shinohara Furin Honpo for some traditional glass wind chimes. Originally thought to ward off evil spirits, furin wind chimes can be made of glass or iron, and take the form of a bell of varied shapes which flutters gently...
Traditional Japanese Crafts in Osaka: Tenugui make great summer souvenirs
Osaka's "Nakani" shop creates the patterns on the tenugui hand towels using a technique called “chusen,” which is said to have been invented in Osaka in the Meiji period (1868-1912).
Often just a simple...
Tohoku’s Kizuna Festival Raucously Blends Six Great Traditions
Tanabata Festival in Sendai
Japanese festivals are raucous and joyful events, filled with noise and songs. For a unique opportunity to see the customs of six communities in one special event, the Tohoku Kizuna Festival can be ideal....
The Most Stylish Buddha in Japan gets a Fashionable Upgrade during Sakura Season
The 18m tall Great Buddha (daibutsu) statue in Konan, Aichi prefecture is somewhat affectionately known as the “Great Buddha with Sunglasses”. That’s because when viewed from just the right angle from behind the Nagoya’s Railway Co.’s Inuyama Line train crossing, the Great...
