Kaizu Osaki is the pride and joy of Shiga. This beautiful peninsula that juts into Lake Biwa, Japan's biggest natural lake, features 600 cherry trees on its 4km long coast. Located less than an hour away from the center of Kyoto, Biwako and the cherry trees of Kaizu Osaki […]
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Located in Wakayama near the border of Nara and Mie, the Dorokyo Gorge are amazing rock formations from the Kitayama-gawa (river). Famous for its steep cliffs and clear emerald waters, the Dorokyo Gorge is unfortunately only accessible by boats. Beautiful all year long it is in autumn with […]
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Located in the heart of Wakayama near Kumano Hongu Taisha, the onsen village of Yunomine is not only famous for its amazing onsen water but also for its unique bath: Tsubo-Yu. Tsubo-Yu is one of Japan’s oldest baths and also the smallest!
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Fukusada No Oicho or in English: The Great Ginkgo tree of Fukusada, is a beautiful 400-year-old lonesome tree located in the Tanabe district of Wakayama. With a circumference of about 5.5m and a height of 22m, Fukusada No Oicho is also the “protector” of the Hosenji temple [...]
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For the third and last video of our Okunoin Cemetery series, we wanted to help you discover what Okunoin looks and sounds like at night when most of the tourists are long gone and enjoying a good onsen or dinner in one of the many temples around. [...]
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Danjo Garan is another important place of worship in Koyasan. It is where Kobo Daishi is also worshipped. The legend has it that Kobo Daishi himself when studying in China through his Sankosho (a pestle with three prongs at each end, usually made of gilt bronze) toward Japan […]
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On this second part of our video series on Okunoin Cemetery (Koyasan - Wakayama), we wanted to spend some time on some of the old, yet most beautiful tombs and mausoleums of Okunoin Cemetery. It is very difficult for us to describe the unique ambiance and beauty of some of Okunoin’s [...]
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Okunoin Cemetery, located in Koyasan, is a most astonishing cemetery. Founded in 805 by Kobo Daishi, one of Japan’s most important religious figures. Koysan is the center of the Shingo Buddhist sect. Kobo Daishi mausoleum is at the center of Okunoin Cemetery. [...]
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Located an hour or so by car from Koyasan in the small Onsen village of Ryujin, Kamigoten is a small ryokan with a unique history. Built in 1657, Kamitogen was actually designed to please Yorinobu Tokugawa, a Japanese Feudal lord of Kinokuni. [...]
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Koyasan Daimon Gate was originally built in the 11th century in the Tsuzuraori Valley and was moved a century later to its current location, marking the entrance to the city of Koyasan. Danjo Garan is another important place of worship in Koyasan and where Kobo Daishi is also worshiped. [...]
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The Kumano Hongu Taisha is one of Wakayama Kumano region's three famous shrines. Enshrining its own deity, Hongu Taisha and also the deities of the other two Kumano shrines, Hayatama Taisha and Nachi Taisha, and the sun goddess Amaterasu. It serves as the head shrine of over 3000 Kumano shrines […]
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Located in the heart of Koyasan, Kongobuji was originally constructed in 1593 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to commemorate the death of his mother. Later Kongobuji was merged with a neighboring temple and reorganized into the head temple of Shingon Buddhism, the sect introduced to Japan by Kobo Daishi in 805 […]
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