“Bon Odori is a Japanese Buddhist Folk Dance performed outdoors and danced in concentric circle around a raised platform called a Yagura“* Late July and early August is Obon season in Japan, a time when Buddhists honor their ancestors with Obon Festivals and Bon Odori (Bon dances) that stems from the tale on a monk […]
The streets were awash in lantern light and food stalls lined the area around the Bishamonten Zenkokuji Temple this past week at the Kagurazaka Festival. After partaking our fill of great matsuri food and beer amongst the other revelers we decided to wander through that alleys of Kagurazaka to get away from the crowds along […]
Indicative of the contradictions in the ancient yet thoroughly modern culture of Japan: a kawaii (cute) pink car sits beneath a cherry tree on the grounds of a temple in Nippori. Everything kawaii is valued by a certain segment of the Japanese population – usually young Japanese schools girls and female office workers. But this […]
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 […]
In the center of the Tokyo’s Yamanote line you will find Kagurazaka Slope, an area that was once just beyond the walls of the imperial palace grounds, and where artists, politicians and Geisha once mingled. The name Kagurazaka is a combination of kagura (a shrine-dance to music) and saka (hill) and evokes the sites and […]
Guarding a construction site is serious business but the frogs holding up the barrier below make the view from the street fun for kids of all ages! This shot was taken by today’s guest photographer, Hugh Ashton, who has teamed up with nine other photographers from Japan to bring you The View From Japan. In […]
The arts of the Geisha are not often witnessed by foreigners or even the ordinary Japanese, so I was told by my host Takehara-san. The six Geisha districts of Tokyo, Shinbashi, Akasaka, Asakusa, Kagurazaka, Mukoujima and Yoshicho, have teamed up with Muromachi Fukutokujuku to present performances that are a great way to “feel” Japanese culture […]
For most of Japan’s freshwater sportsmen, salmon are regarded as the ultimate catch. Until 1997 sport angling for this prized fish was prohibited in Japanese rivers, but now eleven streams in Hokkaido and Honshu allow limited recreational fishing for salmon. River fishing for salmon is strictly regulated here. Anglers must apply for permission several months […]
In early August, Aomori Prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan hosts the Nebuta & Neputa Festivals, where giant illuminated floats featuring famous warriors and and kabuki actors are paraded through the streets. Accompanied but the thundering sound of beating drums, the music of bamboo flutes and shouts of “rasseera” by Haneto dancers this is […]
There is more to Tsukiji in the morning that just the tuna auction. In fact a stroll through the streets outside the market can be as invigorating experience as the market itself. This is one early morning jaunt that I would recommend – while it is still a place of business, consumers are welcome to […]
