The main reason we were itching to visit Mie Prefecture was Ise Grand Shrine or Ise Jingu. After having been living in Japan for three years now, the urge to see the shrine that represents the national religion of Japan was justifiable. The Ise Grand Shrine is Shinto’s holiest shrine and regarded as a home …
For nearly two weeks cherry blossom had blown us away now. There was no other flowers in everyone’s mind than the most popular cherry blossom Somei Yoshino here in Japan this early spring until finally the petals fell down, scattered like snowflakes on the ground. Then we all started seeking other flowers that we could …
Chidorigafuchi has always been one of Tokyo’s best spots for cherry blossom sakura viewing. What makes this spot different than the others is the boat riding experience while cherry blossom in full bloom. Many years ago boat riding was only known by the local. As many travel websites write about boat riding at Chidorigafuchi, there are …
Fushimi Inari shrine is known as a shrine of thousand gates located in Kyoto. TripAdvisor ranks Fushimi Inari as number one tourists attractions in Kyoto. I first saw the Fushimi Inari shrine in Memoir of Geisha, a movie that was made based on the American best selling novel by Arthur Golden. The Memoir of Geisha …
I’ve always wanted to visit Hokkaido since moving to Japan. From one reason to another our plan to visit Hokkaido always on hold. Until it finally reached to the winter festival. The winter festival is one of many reasons to visit Sapporo, Hokkaido’s popular city. Snow festival is the most famous event in Hokkaido where …
Around 32,000 kochia scoparia turn to red in autumn, forming a breathtaking red carpet under the blue sky. Most people know Hitachi Seaside Park for Nemophila blue or baby blue eyes in spring but autumn in the park is equally beautiful. Because there are not many people know about kochia scoparia, the park is …