Japan is full of rich, historic culture as well as it is a vision of the future. If you are someone who can’t wait to see both sides of Japanese culture you can see both sides in a full day just by walking around a particular area. Ueno, rightly known as the fusion district harmoniously…

Nestled within the beautiful Fukui Mountains, the Taishizan Seidaiji temple in Katsuyama is indeed one of those places that words can never fully describe. Yet for many, the temple is not the first thing they think of when they hear the word Katsuyama. Katsuyama is synonymous with the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. This well advertised…

Japan has a well-deserved reputation for beautiful gardens and many of its cities have at least one picturesque garden. Visitors to Okinawa often flock to Shikinaen, the former residence of the Ryukyu Kings and one of Okinawa’s World Heritage Sites. While Shikinaen is undoubtedly worth visiting, it is not Okinawa’s only noteworthy garden. In fact,…

Kyoto (京都) is arguably one of the best must-see places in Japan: a prefecture full of picturesque spots that preserve Japanese culture and history. But when, for whatever reason, you’re stuck in Tokyo’s (東京) busy streets and tall buildings, with so little time and resources (that shinkansen or plane ride does not come cheap!), you…

Ueno (上野) is a MUST on any tourist’s agenda. Located conveniently to the north of the city (connected by numerous JR and Metro lines), Ueno is a visitor’s dream come true. Its park and pond boast many beautiful walks, its shrines and temples are amazing, and its museums are well worth a visit. Let me…

On my first visit to Tamana in Kumamoto, we headed straight for the popular temple that houses a giant, 40-ton bell (which you can have the pleasure of ringing if you arrive at the right time of day). On the second trip, my friend was keen to see this famous site and we programmed the…

One of the ancient capitals, Nara is a famous destination that is sadly often overlooked by tourists as it is so close to other popular cities such as Osaka and Kyoto. However, one of the crowning glories of Nara and indeed the main reason to visit Nara is because of its park. Nara Koen is…

There are many different temples in Japan today, but there are, of course, some that are outstanding. One of the greatest temples in Japan is Rurikoji temple. Rurikoji temple is a Buddhist temple located in Yamaguchi city. This national treasure is best known for the great five-story pagoda and it is rightly rated among Japan’s…

Mount Fuji is arguably one of the most recognizable and iconic aspects of Japanese scenery, representing both the beauty of its landscape and spiritual ideology. For centuries Mount Fuji has been admired by the Japanese and worshipped in both Shintoism and Buddhism and has been the subject of many famous artworks especially from Ando Hiroshige…