Take a gamble on the strength of your faith the next time you visit Kamakura and you may leave richer in both spiritual and monetary terms. The Zeniarai Bentzaiten Ugafuku Jinja (shrine) is dedicated to Benzai, one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, who is revered as the Goddess of knowledge, art and beauty, [...]

The Great Buddha of Kamakura, better know as the Daibutsu, is a sight to behold and was one of the highlights of my trip to the area.

Sitting peacefully on the grounds of Kotoku-in in the hills to the southwest of Kamakura station this weathered bronze statue was erected in 1252, weighs in at 121 tons, [...]

Summer heat and fatigue, natsubate, has struck The Nihon Sun!  That, a few earthquakes, and visitors with crazy schedules has made me a sweat drenched and sunburned resident with lots of inspiration but an inability to peck out a cohesive string of words down on my keyboard…
My trusty folding fan is never far from [...]

I’m off to Kamakura in Kanagawa prefecture today – it’s just one of a few great day trips that can be made using Tokyo as a base.  Many of these places can be explored in a day but if you have time you may want to consider staying the night at a hotel or ryokan [...]

Everyone loves a bargain and whether you live in Japan or are planning a visit it’s always good to look for Japan Travel Specials and ways to save a few Yen.
Japan Rail, better know as JR to locals, offers a selection of special tickets that will do just that!  Some promotions are seasonal but all [...]

You may have though it was all bad news when you heard that Japan’s rainy season officially started this week but it’s doesn’t rain everyday and the weather is still relatively cool and pleasant – in fact it’s great sightseeing weather!    One of the best things to do this time of year is to take [...]

My favorite place in Japan was the subject for this months Japan Blog Matsuri and the entries are as varied as the country itself.   From north to south, from some the places we’ve all heard about to those that will likely never be written about in a Japan Guidebook.  They are all beautiful, if only [...]

From your own feet to two wheels, and from four wheels on pavement to the shinkansen (bullet train) that races on rails or domestic airline flights, your transportation options in Japan run the gamut.
You’ve got your plane reservation and are on your way to Japan and now the question becomes how to get around once [...]

A trip to the Kameido Wisteria Festival found all of the usual attractions of a matsuri (festival) in Japan; abundant food stalls, good weather and  plenty of people but Mother Nature had other ideas when it came to cooperating with the wisteria blooms.  Only a few of the wisteria vines were blooming and I would [...]

Kanagawa Prefecture is the sixth smallest prefecture in Japan with only 2,415 square kilometers of area but is home to almost 9 million people.  Located adjacent to Tokyo, many of the the sights in Kanagawa are just a day trip from the city.  Kanagawa’s capital city, Yokohama,  is a major gateway to the Sea of [...]