Kyoto Temples and Shrines Map See a street map of Kyoto’s many temples and shrines. There are around 2,000 altogether in the city as a whole, ranging from UNESCO World Heritage listed places such as Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji, and Ryoan-ji to small, family owned, neighborhood temples and shrines. Temples Indeed, Kyoto’s temples are among Japan’s most […]
Kyoto Street Map See a street map of Kyoto, Japan. The map lists hotels in Kyoto, hostels, ryokan and other types of accommodation. The map also shows the location of Kyoto”s many temples and shrines (there are around 2,000 altogether in the city as a whole), The former capital city boasts 93 Michelin-starred restaurants out […]
Tokyo Street Map See a street map of Tokyo, Japan. The map lists hotels in Tokyo, hostels, ryokan and other types of accommodation. Also find embassies and consulates in Japan’s capital, art galleries and museums. The map also shows the location of Tokyo’s many parks and green spaces (there are over 11,000 in the city […]
The Garden Palace Hotel 福岡ガーデンパレスホテル The Garden Palace Hotel in Fukuoka is part of a chain of Garden Palace Hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Osaka and Sapporo. The clean and functional rooms come with free internet connection and there are both smoking and smoke-free rooms to choose from. The excellent buffet breakfasts are […]
Tsuruhashi Koreatown 鶴橋, 大阪 Johannes Schonherr A few years ago, a friend and long-term Osaka expat took me to one of his favorite afternoon hangouts – the café on the first floor of Hiro’s Guesthouse right in the center of Tsuruhashi Koreatown. While walking down Tsuruhashi main street, lined with shops selling everything Korean […]
Osaka Guide: Kamagasaki / Airin, Nishinari Ward, Osaka 西成区, 大阪: Osaka’s Homeless and Day Laborer Area 釜ヶ崎 / あいりん地区 Johannes Schonherr Day Laborers Kamagasaki Kamagasaki Riots Airin Airin Labor Welfare Center Cheap Hotels Triangle Park Access In the years leading up to 1912, the then far south of Osaka was a huge construction area. An […]
Nara Hotel 奈良ホテル The Nara Hotel is the most historic and prestigious hotel in Nara. The five-star hotel opened as a state guest house in 1909 during the Meiji Period of intensive westernization of traditional Japanese culture. The architecture of the hotel reflects a synchronization of classic Japanese and Western construction styles typical of the […]
Nara Shrines: Kasuga Taisha Shrine 春日大社 Kasuga Taisha (Kasuga Grand Shrine) is the most important Shinto shrine in Nara. Located west of Nara Park and Kofukuji and close to Todaiji Temple and Wakakusayama, the shrine along with nearby Kasugayama Primeval Forest are designated as a joint UNESCO World Heritage Site. History Founded in 768, the […]
Edogawa Ranpo Museum, Toba, Mie Prefecture 江戸川乱歩館 A short walk from the oyster bars’ side of Toba Station is the quirky Ranpo Museum. The museum is the preserved former residence of local artist and writer Junichi Iwata and displays manuscripts, letters and every day items from the lives of Iwata and his literary friend Edogawa […]
Mitake Gifu Prefecture 御嵩、岐阜県 Mitake is an old post town (juku) on the northern, mountain trade route from Kyoto to Tokyo, known as the Nakasendo 中仙道. In Gifu Prefecture, the Nakasendo highway passes through Ena, Iwamura, Mitake and on to Magome and Tsumago. The journey uphill from Magome to Tsumago is one of the most […]
JR Owase Station 尾鷲駅 JR Owase Station is the main point of access to get to the small port town of Owase in the deep south of Mie Prefecture, just before the border with Wakayama Prefecture. Owase Station opened in 1934 and is now on the JR Kisei Main Line with trains to Nagoya Station, […]
Kumano-shi Station 熊野市駅 Kumano-shi Station in Kumano city is a JR station on the Kisei Line in southern Mie Prefecture. The main connections are south to Shingu and north to Owase Station and Nagoya Station. The first express train to Kumano-shi Station from Nagoya is the 8.05 am Wide View Nanki that arrives in Kumano-shi at […]
Wenceslau de Moraes ヴェンセスラウ・デ・モラエス Wenceslau de Moraes (1854-1929) was a Portuguese writer, translator and poet, who spent his later life living near Mt. Bizen in Tokushima on Shikoku. Moraes is often compared to Lafcadio Hearn a contemporary of his in Japan. History Born in Lisbon, Moraes attended Naval College before joining the Portuguese navy and […]
小さな宿 Nieche Wharf Cafe Nieche just a couple of minutes from Taiji Station is a friendly and economical guest house in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture. The rooms are fairly basic, but comfortable tatami and futon squares and there is very little noise at night, guaranteeing a peaceful sleep. Bathrooms are communal. The breakfasts were wonderful, served […]
Taiji Station 太地駅 Taiji Station is a JR station on the Kisei Line. Visitors traveling south from Owase Station, Kumano-shi Station, and Nagoya Station to the north need to change trains at Shingu Station to reach Taiji. The first express train to Shingu Station from Nagoya is the 8.05 am Wide View Nanki that arrives […]
Yatai Mura, Kokusai Dori, Naha 国際通り屋台村 Just off Kokusai Dori in Naha near Makishi Station on the Yui Line is Yatai Mura, a series of 20 casual “yatai” (street stall-style) eateries arranged in two narrow lanes. Seating at maximum of about 20 customers each place serves Okinawan delicacies washed down with either Orion beer or […]
Kokusai Dori, Naha, Okinawa 国際通り Kokusai Dori in Naha, Okinawa, is the city’s main shopping street. It is famous for its many souvenir stores, bars, hotels, and restaurants. This is a good place to sample Okinawan cuisine as well as listen to Okinawan music as some of the restaurants offer a dinner with musical accompaniment. […]
Yui Rail Naha Okinawa 沖縄都市モノレール Unlike the Japanese main islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku, Okinawa has no rail network. Naha, the prefectural capital of Okinawa does have the Yui Rail (ゆいレール) a monorail system, which runs 17 km through 19 stations from Naha Airport via Shuri, near Shuri Castle to Tedako-Uranishi. The Yui […]
日中友好庭園 Japan-China Friendship Garden, Gifu The Japan-China Friendship Garden, near the south bank of the Nagara River, just north of Gifu Park (Gifu Koen) in Gifu, was built in 1999 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the friendship partnership between Gifu and Hangzhou. The garden is laid out in classic, Chinese style with a keyhole […]
Feather Museum, Seki フェザーミュジアム Japan has some bizarre and quirky museums: a sex museum, a ninja museum, a leprosy museum, and even a sand museum. The Feather Museum in Seki, Gifu Prefecture in central Japan is another off-the-wall museum in Japan. Exhibits The Feather Museum in Seki, north of Inuyama in Gifu Prefecture, has nothing […]