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 […]
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 […]
Samurai on horseback, parading through town and competing in contests with a history that dates back more than 1000 years. That’s what you will witness if you attend the three day Soma Noma-oi Festival in Fukushima prefecture later this month. A Japan National Intangible Folk Cultural Asset, this event features a parade of 500 armored […]
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 […]
The Soga Kasa-yaki Matsuri is held annually each May and is a festival that honors an act of revenge by the Soga brothers that took place in May 1193, over 800 years ago. In 12th century Japan, territorial battles were commonplace and were often bloody affairs. Warlords enacted elaborate military attacks with the sole purpose […]
The Narita Taiko Matsuri is the largest drum festival in the Kanto region and is held each April at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. The matsuri features two full days of taiko drumming, dancing and parades. Literally, taiko means “fat drum”, and the art form can be traced back the the sixth or seventh century in Japan, […]
In the southern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto fertile farming land is abundant around Mt. Aso, an active volcano and the site of the largest volcano caldera in the world. Each spring cities, towns and villages in the area host the Aso No Hi Matsuri or the Fire Festival of Aso. It’s a spectacular event highlighted […]
Tengu is the Japanese god of mischief and patron saint of the martial arts and is sometimes referred to as “The Slayer of Vanity”. Attend the annual Tengu Matsuri (festival), held in honor of this mythical creature from January 30th to February 1st, 2009. “…the bird-like Tengu is a skilled warrior and mischief maker, especially […]
Sakana is a Japanese term referring to food eaten with sake or alcohol, similar to appetizers like Spanish tapas, it is also the common pronunciation for the kanji for fish. The story behind the image: “Late this past July I attended the Obon Lantern Festival at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. The lanterns were impressive as […]
