Matsumoto Castle: Japan’s Oldest Wooden Castle & the City of Mountains
Matsumoto Castle (ζΎζ¬ε) is visually unlike any other major Japanese castle. While the dominant color scheme of most…
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Matsushima: Japan’s Most Scenic Bay β 260 Islands, Oysters & Zen Temples
Matsushima (ζΎε³Ά) β "Pine Islands" β has been celebrated as one of Japan's most beautiful landscapes since the…
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Mount Fuji Climbing Guide: Which Trail, When to Go & How to Prepare
Mount Fuji (ε―士山, 3,776m) β Japan's highest peak and most recognized national symbol β receives approximately 200,000β300,000 climbers…
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Nagano & Zenko-ji: The Temple Town at the Heart of the Japan Alps
Nagano (ι·ι) is unusual among Japanese cities in that its central organizing principle is a Buddhist temple rather…
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Japanese Funeral Culture: What Foreigners Should Know
The chance of a foreign visitor actually attending a Japanese funeral is low β Japanese funeral culture is…
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Japanese Horse Racing: How to Spend a Day at Tokyo Racecourse
Tokyo Racecourse (ζ±δΊ¬η«Άι¦¬ε ΄) β the largest and most prestigious of Japan Racing Association's (JRA) 10 facilities, located in…
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Japanese School Culture: What Makes It Different
Japanese elementary, middle, and high school culture is so different from Western educational norms that visitors who spend…
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Japanese Shrine vs Temple: What’s the Difference & Does It Matter?
Most visitors to Japan encounter both Shinto shrines (η₯η€Ύ / jinja) and Buddhist temples (ε―Ί / tera or…
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Kakunodate: The Samurai Town of Akita β Cherry Blossoms & Preserved Streetscapes
In most of Japan, the physical fabric of the samurai era has been lost β to the deliberate…
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Karaoke in Japan for Beginners: Box Karaoke Culture Explained
International visitors to Japan often arrive with preconceptions about karaoke formed by their home-country experience β a microphone…
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