Posted in nature, history, travel and places, museums on Aug 10th, 2006 No Comments »
If you are wondering what to do in Nagoya, a visit to Nagoya Castle might be a good idea. No, it is not an original castle anymore, like that other giant castle of yore, Osaka, the donjon has been lost and rebuilt in concrete, but is still an imposing presence and there is a great […]
Posted in culture, history, calendar, religion and philosophy, kyoto on Jul 2nd, 2006 No Comments »
Tanabata is one of Japan’s five traditional festivals, the gosekku, celebrated on auspicious calendar days: 1/1, 3/3, 5/5, 7/7 and 9/9. Tanabata’s date is 7/7 in the old moon calendar, but as 8/7 is closer to the old date, some Tanabata festivals are held in August rather than July.
As in other cultures, in Japan, too, […]
Posted in history, travel and places, museums, intercultural on Jul 1st, 2006 No Comments »
The Motomachi shopping street sits at the foot of the Yamate Bluff in Yokohama, from late Edo the preferred place of residence for foreigners.
In 1867 this area was designated as the Yamate Foreign Settlement which, high above the town, afforded a good view of the port and cool winds in summer. Public buildings and private […]
Posted in history, travel and places, museums, intercultural on Jun 26th, 2006 No Comments »
One particular historical event, the Japan-US treaty of amity and the subsequent opening up of the port of Yokohama is highlighted in the Yokohama Archives of History, fittingly housed in a museum standing in the grounds of the former residence of the British consulate general, and wrapping around an offshoot of the camphor tree under […]
Posted in crafts, history, travel and places, museums on Jun 25th, 2006 No Comments »
The Silk Museum in Yokohama is housed in a somewhat dated office building, established in 1959 on the site of British trading firm Jardine Matheson & Co. Silk was Japan’s main export item in the late 19th c. and many merchants in Yokohama thrived thanks to the silk trade (until the bust of the 1930s). […]
Posted in history, travel and places, religion and philosophy, museums on Jun 25th, 2006 No Comments »
Shibayama, on the eastern side of Narita Airport, is another area rich in old tumulus graves. In contrast to Boso Fudoki-no-Oka, Shibayama has given us numerous large-sized and fascinating haniwa figures. Typical are curious figures with high hats, beards and long curly hair, a very unusual look as haniwa go. They are the trademarks of […]
Posted in nature, history, travel and places, museums on Jun 24th, 2006 No Comments »
Boso Fudoki-no-Oka is a scenic, historical park covering 32 hectares, laid out on a hill dotted with about 120 old tumulus graves. Although lying close to Narita, Tokyo’s International Airport, the thunder of jets does not reach here and the park proves remarkably tranquil. There are small grave mounds, not more than tiny knolls, lying […]
Posted in history, travel and places, religion and philosophy, museums on Jun 24th, 2006 No Comments »
As temples and museum go, there is more in the vicinity of Narita than only jumbojets. After the museums in the grounds of the Narita temple, take the bus for a short ride to the Sogo Treasure Hall and Sogo Memorial Hall, both located in the grounds of a temple called Sogo Reido, standing in […]
Posted in crafts, nature, architecture, history, art and photography, travel and places, museums on Jun 23rd, 2006 1 Comment »
Long before it became known as the site of Tokyo’s international airport, Narita was famous as the temple town that grew up around the imposing Narita-san Shinshoji Temple. One of eastern Japan’s most important temples, Shinshoji is approached along a street lined with shops, restaurants and inns. Although the main hall is modern concrete construction, […]
Posted in writing and poetry, nature, history, travel and places, religion and philosophy, museums on Jun 21st, 2006 No Comments »
Hanamaki is a well-known hot spring resort, but more than that it is the native place of author, teacher, researcher and agricultural reformer Miyazawa Kenji. You will find more about him in the Miyazawa Kenji Museum, a short bus ride from either Shin-Hanamaki or Hanamaki Station. It presents Miyazawa Kenji from various angles and has […]