Bitchu Matsuyama Castle: Japan’s Only Surviving Mountain Castle
Japan’s very first castles were mountain castles or yamajiro. Unfortunately, many of them do not exist anymore, due to the
Read more
Trips
Byodo-in Temple in Oahu, a Japanese icon in America?!
2018 is a big year for Japanese Americans living in Hawaii. 150 years ago, the very first Japanese laborers moved
Read more
Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, Japan’s Oldest Pilgrimage
Many outside of Japan assume that the most important pilgrimage one can take in Japan is the Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage.
Read more
Japan’s Living Past: A Brief History of Ise Grand Shrine
Ise Grand Shrine, or Ise Jingu [伊勢神宮] as it is better known by Japanese people, is one of the most
Read more
5 Things To Know Before Visiting Ise Jingu
When people plan coming to Japan immediately large sprawling cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and our dear Osaka come to mind.
Read more
Yomotsu Hirasaka, Path to the Japanese Underworld
If you will remember from our mythology series, Izanami had died giving birth to the god of fire. Grief stricken by
Read more
Suga Shrine: the birth place of Japanese Poem
Suga Shrine [須賀神社] is a little off the beaten path. While the first two shrines we have visited during our
Read more