Glimpses of Japan

I visited Kanazawa for a weekend trip in early December. It was the best time to see autumn colors. Including the famous Japanese garden Kenrokuen.  What I like about Kanazawa is that the city is compact and public transport is very convenient. Because of that, you can see most of the attractions within two days. I wasn't the exception. I could see most of the major attractions.  Beginning with 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, The signature piece of 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is "The Swimming Pool." Reservation is required to get inside the pool.  Higashichaya District, which is a historic entertainment district with teahouses where geisha performed in the past, (now mostly turned into shops and restaurant/cafes) If you are Japanese sake enthusiast, Fukumitsuya sake shop is a must stop.  Nagamachi Samurai District, where samurai used to reside and now preserves traditional samurai residences very well,  Kanzawa Castle, Omicho Market, etc. In...

Kisoji is an old trade used during the Edo Period. It is in the middle of Nakasendo, one of the Edo Five Routes that connected Tokyo and Kyoto. Among many of the Shukubamachi, or staging post stations, on the route, Kisoji is the largest, with 11 stations. Some of the stations preserve traditional buildings very well.  The fountain used to be a water station for travelers, both human and horses. Also it was an important infrastructure to the village to extinguish fire back in the Edo period.  There were also many souvenir shops, cafes, and restaurants. Most of them used to be inns for travelers during the Edo period.  There are only few inns left in Narai Shuku. I stayed at Aburaya Ryokan. It was a traditional Japaneses building, small inn. The owner said that they can host only one group per night.  I could look down the street of Narai Shuku from my room Part of Kisoji is maintained as a hiking trail. I hiked from Narai Shuku to Yabuhara Shuku, which includes the h...

Nagahama is located in Shiga Prefecture, on the northeastern shore of Lake Biwa. It was my first time visiting Shiga Prefecture. I was astonished by how big Lake Biwa is, and also very interesting to learn that cultures are very different depending on which shore of the lake.  Nagahama Town around the sunset There were lots of waterways in the town Lake Biwa Nagahama preserves beautiful local sceneries with historic buildings. The town was originally developed by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who once unified Japan in the 1500s. The central part of Nagahama has now been turned into a shopping/dining location for tourists. Some of the shops said that they had continued the business for more than several hundred years.  Toyokuni Shrine enshrines Hideyoshi Toyotomi Nagahama Castle, which Toyotomi Hideyoshi built, was once destroyed, but it's now been restored and turned into a museum for citizens and travelers.  Nagahama Castle I had so much to see in the area, and it took a whole day...

  Mt. Ibuki straddles the border of Gifu and Shiga prefectures and attracts visitors with its amazing views from the summit. Although it is 1,377 meters high, it's a relatively easy mountain to hike. Visitors can drive up to the 9th station through Ibukiyama Driveway. The shortest trail takes only 20 minutes to the summit. The driveway offers an amazing view.  Mt. Ibuki is famous for its alpine plants. Over 350 species of plants are said to inhabit the area around the summit.  The trail was well-maintained and easy to hike.  An amazing view from the summit. There was also several souvenir shops and cafes for visitors to take a rest.  Note that I could not start the hike from Mt. Ibuki's trailhead at the foot of the mountain due to heavy rains in July 2023. It made a part of trail collapse and it was still under maintenance in May 2024. (The situation was the same in February 2025) Visit the local municipality's website before planning the visit. 

Ise Jingu is one of the most important and sacred Shinto shrines in Japan. It enshrines Amaterasu Mikami, who is considered the supreme deity of Japan in Shinto belief. This means that Ise Jingu is the guardian deity of the Japanese people.  It is said that traveling was not allowed for all people in the past, and going to Ise Jingu was an exception. Traveling to Ise Jingu was a huge lifetime event for people during the Edo period; over 4.6 million people visited the shrine in six months.  I took my first trip to Ise Jingu in February 2024. It was a precious, sacred, and magical experience.  A special ceremony for National Foundation Day I visited on February 11, a national holiday called "National Foundation Day." To celebrate the foundation of Japan, Ise Jingu holds a special ceremony. I woke up early and watched the ceremony, which started at 7:00 AM. The ceremony included a parade of Shinto priests, performances of traditional musical instruments, and praying. The Shi...

Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery is a Japanese whisky distillery located in Hokkaido. It’s the home to Nikka Whisky, which is one of the oldest and biggest producers of Japanese whisky. I visited the distillery in 2017 summer and had an amazing time at their museums, whisky bars, and the tour. The entrance of Yoichi Distillery looked like a European castle. The distillery was established in 1934 as a “dream place” to create whisky to the father of Japanese whisky Masataka Taketsuru. He looked all over Japan for the perfect place to create his dream whisky. Yoichi was a perfect place, having the similar climate to Scotland. Getting around the distillery You can choose to participate in the guided distillery tour or just walk freely. The guided tour is conducted in Japanese only, but it includes opportunities to visit tour participants-limited sights, too. If you are walking freely, they have a guidance smartphone app to help you find the way. They also have multilingual pamphlets....