Located in Nagano and close to Matsumoto and it’s gorgeous castle, the Daio Wasabi Farm is one of Japan’s largest wasabi farms. It is a very popular tourist destination for both wasabi lovers and fans of the 1989 movie “Dreams”, directed by the late great Akira Kurosawa, that used the location’s unique scenery as the […]
Read more
Established in 1434 by the 12th Kiso lord Nobumichi, Kōzen-ji Temple, also known as Kozenji, is a Rinzai buddhist Myoshinji temple of the Kiso and Yamakura clans. Small in size, this temple comes with many little wonders in the form of four different gardens with the Syoryu Garden, Shyumisen Garden, Mansho Garden and Kanuntei Garden […]
Read more
As a result of centuries of erosion cutting the granite bedrock it is only recently, and after the flow of the river had been lowered due to hydropower construction, that the gorgeous Nezame No Toko scenery was unveiled to us all! Located near the Agemmatsu village, Nezame No Toko is today a nationally designated scenic […]
Read more
The third and last major post town alongside the Nakasendo Highway section of the Kiso Valley is Magome-Juku. Unlike Narai-Juku and Tsumago-Juku which are both located in Nagano , Magome-Juku is located in Gifu prefecture. It has also been completely restored to better accommodate tourists, but this makes Magome-Juku the least authentic post town of […]
Read more
Like Narai-Juku, Tsumago is yet another famous post town alongside the Nakasendo Highway section of the Kiso Valley during the Edo period that linked Kyoto to Edo, known now as… Tokyo. Unlike Narai-Juku however, Tsumago-Juku is one of the best preserved post towns in Japan and its residents have gone to great lengths to protect […]
Read more
Located in the southwestern part of Nagano prefecture, Narai-Juku was once a section of this historic Nakasendo Highway connecting Kyoto with Edo (presently known as Tokyo). Because of its strategic location between both cities, Narai-Juku quickly became one of the wealthiest towns in the Kiso Valley. While similar in its historical role to Tsumago and […]
Read more
Also known as Atamijo, this “castle” is in fact a pure tourist attraction that was built in 1959 on a mountain top overlooking the city of Atami, despite the fact that Atami never had any castle in its history! To be fair, Atamijo is a good looking castle from the outside and with a stunning […]
Read more
Located in Atami City’s center and originally built by a shipping magnate in 1919, Kiun-kaku (also known as Kiunkaku) served until 1947 as a private villa to different owners including the railroad tycoon Kaichiro Nezu. It’s interesting to note here that Kaichiro also happens to be the original owner of the Nezu garden and museum […]
Read more
Founded in 807 AD by the famous Japanese Saint Kobo, or Kobo Daishi one of the greatest founders of Buddhism in Japan. Shuzenzi Temple is also one of the oldest temples in Shizuoka. While small in size, Shuzenji temple also offers visitors the chance to visit a small museum, featuring many artefacts. Until 1995 it […]
Read more
Despite being “lost” in the middle of the mountains of Izu peninsula, Shuzenji is a well known tourist destination for both Japanese and foreigners alike. Indeed Shuzenji is one of the oldest and most famous hot spring resort towns on the whole peninsula! Like the Japanese tradition dictates, there is no onsen without ryokan and […]
Read more
Located on the west side of the Izu peninsula, Heda is one of those small Japanese fishing villages that time seems to have left alone. Granted in Heda you will find some very impressive fishing boats alongside some rather modest ones, but the place has something hard to describe that makes it unique. It feels […]
Read more
Located between Shirahama beach and Dogashima, Tsumekizaki is a gorgeous seaside park that has several great walking paths, an incredibly diverse garden and an old lighthouse with a stunning view of the surrounding ocean. Somehow more difficult to access than any other place, Tsumekizaki Park is still the ideal place to go for anyone who’s […]
Read more
