For those who've been interested in traveling to Japan, Nikko needs no introduction. Famous for its magnificent waterfall and many temples, Nikko is definitely a place to visit when in Japan. Less popular yet really worth experiencing is Nikko’s amazing National Park, especially in winter or autumn. [...]
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Unganji is a Zen temple located in the mountains near Otawara City in Tochigi prefecture. Part of the Rinzai School, it was built around the Heian era during the Daiji years (1126 ~ 1131). [...]
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Hotaru or firefly, are beloved in Japan. Often part of Japanese poems, songs, and stories they are unfortunately on their way to extinction due to the overzealous use of pesticides. Japanese streams are too often contaminated with pollutants, killing Hotaru and making them more and more difficult to find. [...]
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riginally located in Tokyo and used as a residence for a branch of the Tokugawa family, and later used temporarily as the Imperial Palace, the Tomozawa Imperial Villa has been in Nikko since 1899. This gorgeous house that blends traditional Edo design and early model Meiji period architecture offers no less than 106 rooms, with […]
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ocated near Nikko, Kanmangafuchi Abyss was formed centuries ago by an eruption of the nearby Mount Nantai, and offers a few nice long trails alongside a pleasant river. Not only does Kanmangafuchi Abyss offer a stunning view of its nearby river, Kanmangafuchi is also known for its row of about 100 stone statues of Jizo, […]
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Autumn is finally upon us and like pretty much everywhere in the world, autumn colors in Japan are something pretty amazing to see and enjoy. Better known as ‘koyo’ in Japanese, this phenomenon attract millions of visitors to parks and temples all across the country for this yearly natural celebration. While we will cover autumn […]
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Japanese people are very fond of flowers and nature in general, explaining why parks and flower parks are something pretty (no pun intended) common here. While the park is a delight all year long, it is around the beginning of May, and during the Wisteria Festival, that the place becomes incredibly popular, with the hours […]
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English The Toshogu Shrine in Nikko is a very popular tourist attraction for both Japanese and foreigners alike. It is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years. The shrine consists of more than a dozen buildings located in a beautiful forest outside the […]
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English The Gateway to Mt Nantai, is how you could sum-up the Futarasan Chugushi Shrine. More modest that most of Nikko’s temples, the Futarasan Chugushi Shrine is in fact two places in one. The first, Chugushi Shrine, is located on the shores of the Chuzenji-ko with the Futarasan Shrine located on top of Mt Nantai […]
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English A few weeks ago we uploaded a small video of Lake Yuno-ko during a strong snow storm or blizzard (take your pick) which prevented us to take the time to shoot a nice video of the place, its bridge and its waterfall… So we decided to wait for better weather conditions in order to […]
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English Nikko is one of Tochigi prefecture most famous places, known for its huge cultural history, temples, waterfalls and scenery. Among Nikko’s wonders both the lake Yuno-ko and the Senjogahara Marshland are a ‘must-see’ all year long. A good friend of mine (http://blog.benoa.net/) who also happens to be a professional photographer decided to make the […]
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