Tamozawa Imperial Villa
December 2023 Tamozawa Imperial Villa is one of the largest remaining wooden buildings in Japan. It was the largest mansion…
December 2023
A Day in the Countryside
December 27, 2023 At the invitation of a Japanese friend who lives in Shimotsuke, Tochigi, my travel friend and I…
Kabuki and Sumo
December 2023 Kabuki is thought to have originated in the early Edo period, when the art’s founder, Izumo no Okuni,…
Kappabashi – Taito City – Tokyo
December 2023 I love the off-beat you find in our world, and Japan specializes in it. Here are just a…
Nikko Toshogu Shrine
December 25, 2023 Nikko is a two-hour train ride from Tokyo. Much of the town is a World Heritage Site.…
Edo-Period Architecture of Hama-Rikyu
December 2023 I have a passion for Edo Era architecture and gardens. Hama-rikyu Gardens has three beautifully restored Edo-period buildings.…
The Rivers of Tokyo
December 2023 More than 100 rivers and canals flow beneath Tokyo. According to the Government of Japan in 2015: “The…
Tokyo’s Fishmarkets
December 22, 2023 I had the privilege of visiting the original inner Tsukiji fish market fifteen years ago when you…
Kasuga Wakamija Onmatsuri
Nara Japan December 17th, 2023 I arrived in Nara with no idea that I had arrived for one of the…
Nara, Japan
December 17, 18, 2023 I have been to Nara before, as has my travel friend Susan, so here is a…
Saiho-ji Koke-dera
December 15, 2023 Saihō-ji is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple. It is famous for its moss garden and is commonly…
The Food and Osaka
December 2023 Long-standing stereotypes about Kansai (Western Japan) folks run as follows: Kyoto-ites spend their money on clothes, Kobe people…
Random Kyoto
December 2023 Chion-in ( Monastery of Gratitude) Yasaka Pagoda Yasaka Kōshin-dō The temple is dedicated to Shomen Kongo, a guardian…
Ōkōchi Sansō
December 2o23 While the Bamboo Forest and other attractions of Arashiyama are jam-packed, Okochi Sanso is a serene oasis and…
Higashi Hongan-ji and the Fires of Edo
December 10, 2023 Higashi Hongan-ji Higashi Hongan-ji, the head temple of the Ōtani-ha branch of Jōdo Shinshū, was most recently…
Architecture of The Imperial Palace
December 3, 2023 You can not enter any of the buildings on the Palace grounds, but you can stroll to…
The Garden of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto
December 3, 2023 I have a passion for Japanese Gardens that verges on obsession. As one would expect, the garden…
Kennin-ji and Sor-ren-in Temples of Kyoto
December 2, 2023 The one thing you can get overwhelmed with and then exhausted from is the vast amount of…
Strolling the Streets of Kyoto
December 2023 I spent this morning just doing a Sunday Saunter. It was nice to see a side of Kyoto…
A Rant Regarding Over-Tourism
December 2, 2023 I have discussed the fact that it is Momiji-gari season in Japan. I have attributed a large…
Kyoto, Japan – Kinkaku-ji and Ryoanji
November 30, 2023 I was in Kyoto with my late husband in 2009, and I have nothing but wonderful memories.…
Momiji-gari at Nanzenji Temple
December 1, 2023 The tourists are rather overwhelming in Kyoto at present, and the reason is Momiji-gari. Momiji-gari literally means…
Momiji-gari at Eikando Zenrin-ji Temple
December 1, 2023 I would have loved to have taken photos of the structures and walkways of this temple. However,…
Ginkakuji – the Silver Pavillion
December 1, 2023 Walking the Philosopher’s Path between Eikando Zenrin-ji Temple and The Silver Pavillion The Philosophers Path The Philosophers…