JAPAN
Oki Islands: Where Volcanic Cliffs Meet Ancient Exile Legends
Oki Islands: Where Volcanic Cliffs Meet Living Island Culture At 7:40 on a clear morning, I paid about ¥3,000 for breakfast and a ferry-terminal…
JAPAN
JAPAN
Iwami Ginzan: Where Silver Veins Meet Samurai Ambition
Iwami Ginzan: Where Silver-Mining History Meets Quiet Mountain Villages At 8:15 on a cool morning, I pay ¥500 for a bicycle near Omori and follo…
JAPAN
Adachi Museum Garden: Where Living Paintings Meet Sacred Mountains
Adachi Museum Garden: Where Living Art Meets Japanese Design At 9:05 on a clear spring morning, I pay ¥2,300 at the entrance and step toward the…
JAPAN
Tottori Sand Dunes: Where Desert Waves Meet Ancient Pine Winds
Tottori Sand Dunes: Where Desert-Like Landscapes Meet Japanese Coastal Culture At 7:10 a.m., a ¥380 bus from Tottori Station drops me near the d…
JAPAN
Yokote Kamakura Festival: Where Snow Shrines Meet Candlelight Prayer
Yokote Kamakura Festival: Where Snow Houses Meet Akita Folklore At 6:30 p.m. on February 15, I pay ¥100 for a small cup of amazake before steppi…
JAPAN
Akita Kanto Festival: Where Lantern Wheat Meets Summer Rice Prayer
Akita Kanto Festival: Where Towering Lanterns Meet Northern Japanese Tradition At 7:45 p.m., I stand near Sanno Odori in Akita City with a ¥500 …
JAPAN
Morioka Sansa Festival: Where Demon-Conquering Drums Meet Summer Joy
Morioka Sansa Festival: Where Drum Rhythms Meet Iwate Tradition At 6:15 p.m., a taiko drum cracks through the warm August air on Morioka’s Chuo-…
JAPAN
Hiraizumi Temples: Where Pure Land Paradise Meets Northern Fujiwara Gold
Hiraizumi Temples: Where Golden-Age Buddhism Meets Northern Japanese Landscapes At 9:10 a.m., I pay ¥1,000 at Chusonji Temple and step beneath t…