No arms, no legs, but a well know symbol of good luck in Japan, Daruma dolls were first made over 300 years ago at a temple in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture in the likeness of Daruma, the Japanese name for Bodhidharma and the founder of Zen Buddhism who achieved enlightenment by staring at a blank […]

The bright red Togetsu Bridge connects Oshima Island (sometimes referred to as Ojima Island) to the town of Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture.  After crossing the short but stunning red bridge take some time explore the small island’s rocky terrain along winding paths that take you past more than fifty caves carved into the rock containing […]