One of the largest secondhand book markets in the world is centered on the intersection of Yasukuni-Dori and Hakusan-Dori in the Kanda district of Tokyo. Known as Tokyo’s book town, Jimbocho (神保町) is home to a concentration of over 170…
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Japan’s toll-based kōsokudōro (高速道路, expressways) stretch the length and breadth of the country, offering faster and more direct routes between cities than ippandōro (一般道路, regular roads). To make cross-country road journeys more manageable, the expressways have regular service areas with…
Japanese electric/broadcast specifications differ from most other countries, which prevents you from using appliances from your home country. Unfortunately, 99% of the products sold in Japan are designed according to Japanese specifications with instruction manuals in Japanese only. Sony Overseas…
Shiretoko is the southernmost point in the northern hemisphere with seasonal sea ice, which makes it the home for a unique and original natural landscape. It is abundant in marine life represented by salmon, as well as a rich diversity…
Of the 130,000 hectare of mountainous terrain in Akita and Aomori prefecture, more than 17,000 hectare has been designated as a World Heritage Site. This area remains completely untouched by humans and includes the world’s largest beech forest, as well…
This village is famous for its houses with traditionally thatched roofs and its renowned rearing of silkworms. Together with the surrounding mountains and fields, it creates a truly beautiful landscape. Due to the notorious winter snowfalls, this community was occasionally…
The three sacred mountain ranges Yoshino/Omine, Kumano Sanzan and Koyasan and the connecting pilgrimage path have had an immensely important effect on Japanese religious and cultural growth and exchange. This is a place famous as the origin of the special…
In Nara, which had been the Japanese capital from 710 to 784, before this moved to Kyoto, you can feel the long lasting effect that religion had, and still has, on the city in the form of Buddhist temples and…
The Horyuji Temple (法隆寺), which was completed in the year 607, is known as the world’s oldest remaining wooden structure. It was also Japan’s first ever designated World Heritage Site and during the time following its construction had a profound…
The ancient monuments of Kyoto are world famous and one of Japan’s most beloved sightseeing spots. The Kiyomizu Temple (清水寺) as well as Kinkakuji (金閣寺, golden pavilion) in Kyoto City, Byodoin (平等院) in Uji City and the Enryaku Temple (比叡山延暦寺)…
Representative of early 17th century Japanese castle architecture, Himeji Castle (姫路城) is regarded as one of Japan’s most impressive wooden structures. The beautiful white stucco walls make the building not only beautiful to look at, but also act at as…
With a history of about 400 years in mining, this is Japan’s most well known silver mine. It is estimated that 30% of the silver that was in circulation during the 100 years between the middle of the 16th and…
Covering an area of roughly 500km2 and a circular circumference of 130km, Yakushima (屋久島) is an impressive granite based island. Despite being a comparatively small island, it has an abundance of mountains over 1,000m, and a climate that ranges from…
Located mainly in the southern part of Okinawa’s main island are the remains of 9 Ryukyu Kingdom castles. The native word “Gusuku” can be translated directly as “castle”. The Ryuku Kingdom (琉球王国) was established in 1429 and remained an independent…
Along with the Sapporo Snow Festival, this artistic light display has become a well known reminder of winter. Now in its 33rd year, the festival grew from one location and 1,000 light bulbs to become known throughout the country. Objects…
This festival is carried out in hope of a successful harvest. Dancers wearing hats representing horse head carry out a very unique and stylized dance, in which they wave their heads back and forth, while singing traditional rice farming songs.…
At this festival, giant models of warriors and lantern decorated floats are taken through the city among powerful shouts. One of the many theories about the origin of the festival is that it is based on the “Tanabata” festival, during which…
This festival originated from the ancient tradition of fending off the evil spirits of the summer, in hope of better health and crops. Participants parade through the streets with giant bamboo sticks to which an uncountable number of paper lanterns…
This parade centers around floats, lavishly decorated with flower arrangements, and the accompanying dancers, dancing to Hanagasa Ondo folk songs, with their trademark red flower hats in hand. Over the three days of the festival, more than 1 million spectators…
Counted as one of the three largest fire festivals in Japan, this powerful and magnificent festival lights up the late fall season. Started to mourn the lost soldiers of Sukagawa Castle, which fell over 400 years ago, the festival consists…
This is one of the three major Edo festivals (江戸三大祭). This historic festival centers around Hie Shrine (日枝神社), the patron shrine of a wide area of central Tokyo which includes the Tokyo Imperial Palace compounds, and is meant to express…
Sawara no Taisai (佐原の大祭, The Big Float Festival in Sawara) is a traditional festival that dates back more than 300 years. The festival takes place twice a year, once in July in the Honjuku area (the east side of the…
The Kawagoe Festival (川越まつり) is a brilliant, gorgeous festival that takes place in what is often referred to as “Koedo” (小江戸), or Little-Edo, a town known for its many, well preserved, old fashioned Japanese ware-houses and businesses from several centuries…
Torinoichi (酉の市) is the religious festival of Otori Shrine that takes place every year on the Day of the Rooster (酉の日, Tori no hi) in November. The festival flourished around the Kanto area during the Edo Period, with the celebration…
This festival, with a history of over 300 years is designated as part of Japan’s “Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties”. On the 2nd and 3rd, cars and floats decorated with paper lanterns parade the city. Some of these have performance…
This festival takes place in spring and autumn. Several hundreds of people dress up in traditional Japanese attire and dance and parade through town to old Shinto songs led by lion dancers. Designated as one of Japan’s “Important Intangible Folk…
This festival celebrates the birth of the first son in the last year. With more than 1 million visitors, it ranges as one of the largest festivals in Japan. During the day, there are a number of kite flying competitions…
The fall festival in Kakegawa (掛川祭) is famous for its performances, “yatai” floats, and lion dance. The Grand Festival takes place only once every three years, the next being in 2012, with performers from each town dancing in procession. The…
This American-style Thanksgiving Festival is a rarity in Japan. Named after Dr. Paul Rusch, a Kentucky native who, focusing on the area around Yatsugatake Nanroku, devoted his life to helping rebuild Japan and introduce democracy after the war, this festival…
The origins of Aoi Matsuri (葵祭) can be traced back to the noble circles of the Imperial court. Among the many Japanese festivals it is known as one of the finest and rarest of its kind. Especially impressive is the…
The Gion Matsuri (祇園祭) is one of Japan’s three major festivals. It was first established in the year 869 in Kyoto and then became increasingly popular throughout Japan. Its primary objective has been to worship the Gion god and by…
Originating in the early part of the Edo Period, this religious festival includes a parade of magnificent, 13 story tall lantern floats. This festival is rare for its mechanical dolls (Karakuri Ningyo) which operate on special mechanisms such as “Koi…
For almost 330 years, the Shika no Tsunokiri has been a marker of the fall season in Nara since the Edo Period. The event was started to protect townspeople, as well as valuable cultural properties from being damaged by bucks’…
Established in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the Heian Period move of the capital, this festival takes place at Heian Shrine. What is special about this festival, is that it offers you the chance to view a large…
The Kurama Fire Festival (鞍馬の火祭) takes place every year on the 22nd of October at Yuki Shrine, in Kyoto. Starting at 6pm, watch fires called Kagaribi (篝火) are ignited in front of each household in the village and, while the…
At this festival the unique “Yosakoi Naruko” dance is performed to the clapping rhythm of the Naruko (a wooden percussion instrument). On the evening of the 9th, there is a big fireworks competition at the Kagamigawa riverside and the main…