Let’s try virtual tour to the pilgrimage routes in Kii area. Last time, I tried virtual visit to Shuri Castle in Okinawa. This time, another virtual tour in Central Japan. If you read Japanese guide books, you may find many pilgrimage routes. But this one in Kii Peninsula has unique ...
Category: Outside Tokyo
Virtual Tour to Shuri Castle, OkinawaVirtual Tour to Shuri Castle, Okinawa
I decided to visit Shuri Castle in Okinawa. But as of 8th April, 2020, due to the spread of Corona Virus, the Government warned not to go outside. So why don’t we visit there by a virtual tour? ...
Ohanami, the Flower Viewing in TokyoOhanami, the Flower Viewing in Tokyo
Ohanami or the flower viewing is the most popular spring activities in Japan. Unfortunately, this year 2020, due to the spread of the COVID-19, we are advised not to do flower viewing. But we can still enjoy flower viewing on the website. ...
Dolls of Girls’ FestivalDolls of Girls’ Festival
Japanese families with daughters celebrate Girls’ Festival on March 3rd. The origin of the festival is not very clear but it was started over one thousand years ago. They started celebrating Girls’ Festival in March at around 16th century. ...
Ritsurin Garden – Visiting “Chestnuts Garden” without ChestnutsRitsurin Garden – Visiting “Chestnuts Garden” without Chestnuts
Ritsurin Garden is a must-visit Japanese garden in Kagawa Prefecture. Ritsurin, written in Chinese characters, means “chestnuts woods”. But interestingly, there is no chestnuts trees in this garden. Instead, the garden has many pine trees and other various greens and flowers. ...
Pilgrimage to Kotohira-gu Shrine in KagawaPilgrimage to Kotohira-gu Shrine in Kagawa
Pilgrimage to Kotohira-gu Shrine in Kagawa became popular during Edo Era in 18th and 19th Century. Pilgrimage in Japan is the origin of tourism in Japan. Other famous and historic pilgrimages include Mt. Fuji, Ise Jingu Shrine and Kumano Kodo. ...
Temples and Shrines and Lost World in SadoTemples and Shrines and Lost World in Sado
Sado Island has many old temples and shrines. This must be partly because many noble people came to this island. But these people came here not because they wanted to live in this northern island with cold and severe weather during winter. On the contrary, they were sent here as ...
How to Explore the Nature in SadoHow to Explore the Nature in Sado
The nature in Sado Island is really extensive from the sea to the mountains. So if you want to fully explore the nature, it is better to travel around by a car. There are bus routes but the services are not frequent. ...
Learning the Gold Mine of Sado IslandLearning the Gold Mine of Sado Island
Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture has a gold mine. They started digging in 17th Century and continued until 1989. The production of the gold in Sado was the largest in the world during 17th Century. According to Wikipedia, the gold mine in Sado produced as much as 400 kg of ...
Floating on a Unique Tub Boat – Sado Island –Floating on a Unique Tub Boat – Sado Island –
I had a very unique experience of a tub boat in Sado Island. It is literally a tub boat made of a tub cut into half. That’s why they call it a “tub boat”. But you may wonder “why tub?”. The story goes back to the early 19th Century when ...