Founded in 940 by Kanchō Daisōjō, a disciple of Kōbō Daishi, Naritasan (Narita-san) Shinshoji (Shinsho-ji) is a Shingon Buddhist temple located in central Narita, and near Narita airport. Despite its age, Naritasan remained a remote and humble temple until Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康) moved his capital to Edo in 1603. Only then did Naritasan Shinshoji, […]
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Tokyo counts many gorgeous cherry blossom/sakura spots that are all worth your time and attention if you do not mind the bustling crowds. But, away from the masses and mostly kept secret by many photographers and sakura specialists, there is a 2km long sakura wonderland that will literally blow your mind with its beauty and […]
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Aoyama, like Yanaka, hosts a huge cemetery located in the center of Tokyo and open to the public. First opened in 1872 as Tokyo’s’ first municipal cemetery, Aoyama Cemetery hosts many wealthy and historical Japanese figures as its permanent guests, and, surprisingly, Aoyama cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that has a […]
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Located five minutes away from Shinjuku by train via the Chuo Line, Nakano Broadway is a huge shopping complex famous for its many anime and idol goods stores as well as its dozens of Mandarake stores! But Nakano Broadway is not only heaven on earth for otaku (geeks) around the world, it is also a […]
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Located outside of Yokohama and somehow in the middle of an industrial area, Sankei-en garden is an oasis of beauty and calm. Erected in 1904 by a silk trader named Tomitaro Hara, also known as Hara Sankei, this garden features, in one location, the many wonders of Japan. Thanks to his fortune, Tomitaro Hara brought […]
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Okusawa Shrine is one of those little shrines that you can find pretty much anywhere in Japan, with the exception, however, of its giant dragons made of rope that welcome you at the shrine’s entrance and in the shrine itself. So why take a video of this temple? The rain of course! Indeed there is […]
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Located just 40 minutes away from Tokyo in Saitama City, the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum is the world’s first publicly run museum dedicated to bonsai art. With a collection boasting 100 bonsai masterpieces and bonsai-related artifacts such as bonsai pots, miniature landscape stones (called suiseki), books and woodblock prints, etc., tourists as well as bonsai […]
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Once a year in December, the famous Hikawa shrine in Saitama (north of Tokyo) holds the Toka Machi Market, the ‘10th day market’. This event coincides with the Daitosai, a ritual ceremony held at the Musashi Ichi-no-miya Hikawa Shrine on the 10th of December. It also plays host to over 1,300 street booths selling food […]
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Lake Ozenuma is heaven on earth. Located in the Oze national park and separated by the Oze marshland by a small hill, the lake is not easily accessible. You will need the proper gear to get there without hurting yourself. Once you’re there, Mother Nature will do her best to welcome you into this oasis […]
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Oze Marshland, also known as Ozegahara is a 8km² marshland located in Gunma prefecture, and at about 1,400 meters above sea level. Being one of Japan’s most popular national parks, Oze is easily one of the best places to go and enjoy nature away from the city. Difficult to access, the Oze marshland, is hard […]
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Twice a year Odaiba hosts one of Tokyo’s most popular fireworks displays. While the Tokyo Bay Grand Fireworks spectacular, held every summer in Odaiba, may be the more famous, this smaller one, also known as the Odaiba Rainbow Fireworks, is definitely worth checking out. Designed to spread Christmas cheer and love, the Odaiba Rainbow Fireworks […]
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Founded in 733 and converted to the Tendai Sect in 859, Jindai-ji is actually the second oldest temple in Tokyo area after Sensoji in Asakuasa. Rather difficult to access from Tokyo, Jindai-ji is actually located in the Tokyo suburb of Chofu, but this temple has much to offer for anyone willing to make the trip […]
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