Capped by snow in winter, set against the lush green of summer, or enveloped in autumn foliage – nothing is as symbolic of Kyoto as Kinkaku-ji. Perhaps even more so, its golden reflection shimmering across the rippled surface of the pond before it. This temple has been destroyed by fire numerous times, in the conflagrations […]
Ryōan-ji, a Zen temple located northwest of Kyoto, eponymous with its more famous rock garden, is truly one of the most serene places on earth. The temple garden is considered to be the finest example of a kare-sansui, or zen rock garden, in Japan. It’s my favorite garden in the world. The garden is best […]
Just when you think you might overdose on endless beauty, a short train ride on the JR Sagano line takes you from Kyoto to Arashiyama and yet more beauty. I think I am about to enter a beauty-induced coma. Arriving at Arashiyama station, it’s a short walk to Tenryu-ji Temple. Leaving the temple grounds by […]
The allies had originally planned to drop the first atomic bomb on Kyoto. Kyoto was spared by the personal intervention of Henry L. Stimson, United States Secretary of War. Stimson wished to save this cultural center in which he spent his honeymoon. There are over 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines in Kyoto. It […]
Every visitor to Japan, if time and budget allow, should try to spend time away from the big cities and more well-known tourist areas. Highly recommended, if you can see your way to a sidetrip, is a stay in a traditional ryokan. The tariff might seem high and it is certainly a luxury to average […]
2.5 hours on two Shinkansen, with a stop in Nagoya, brings you to Takayama from Tokyo. Approaching Nagoya, the views of Fujiyama from the Shinkansen are spectacular, probably the best in all of Japan. After all, you can’t really see the mountain from the mountain. In the heart of the Japanese alps, the town of […]
Where else in the known universe can you see a graying middle-aged man, possibly someone’s Grandpa, walking quite nonchalantly down a heavily-trafficked urban sidewalk, dressed in full Sailor Moon regalia? Or, pet impossibly clean sheep? Then, there was this street performance. And, more people than you can imagine trying to cross the street at the […]
Meiji Jingu is a peaceful oasis, a respite from urban frenzy, and is the most important Shinto site in Tokyo. One of the largest tori to be found in Japan spans the entrance as you enter from Omotesando Street at Harajuku Station. The shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his […]
I’m 5’4″ and 119 lbs before pooping and I feel like Godzilla next to the tiny girls of Harajuku, dressed in a fashion that is both bizarre and adorable. Adorable if your butt is the size of a thumbprint and you can fit your size 9 feet into doll shoes. Lolita Girls, Roller-Zoku, Gosurori, Otaku, […]
It is the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. Of course, it is most famous for tuna carcasses weighing over 300 kilograms but the market handles more than 400 different types of seafood. From seaweed to caviar, and from the tiniest of sardines to whale, you can find it here. Tsukiji Market […]
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