Glimpses of Japan

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...

In the past few years, Nozawaonsen, a village in Nagano prefecture, has become known for skiing in winter. Although I love to ski, I had a chance to visit Nozawaonsen in summer. It was my first time staying there during summer, but it was great because I could indulge in the onsen experience.  There are 13 communal bath houses in the center of the village, and visiting each one is called "Sotoyu-Meguri." It's interesting that the bathhouses have been run and maintained by local families since the Edo Period.  The bath was so hot that some of it was very difficult to soak in the whole body. I went there on the hottest time of the year but felt somewhat well after getting out of the bath. I visited 5-6 bath houses. It was interesting to see the differences; some of them had extremely hot water, while others did not. When visiting a bathhouse, remember to bring your own soap and towel. Unlike the usual onsen or sento, they offer nothing, even no shower. Also, although it is ...

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...

 I had a chance to visit a cafe/bar called Kerun in Sakata, Yamagata. The bar is the birthplace of a cocktail called "Yukiguni." I was amazed by the flavor of the cocktail. Its tender, sweet, yet cold icy feeling reminded me of Tohoku's snowy scenery.  Yukiguni's recipe is very simple. Its ingredients are vodka, Cointreau, and lime juice, with a green cherry and sugar for the rim.  This simplicity is the reason why it became one of Japan's most famous standard cocktails. You can order Yukiguni at most bars not only in Japan but also anywhere in the world.  Keiichi Iyama, who owned the cafe/bar Kerun, created Yukiguni in 1959. He worked at the bar as a bartender until 2020, which was just a year before he passed away at 95 years old.  I really would have loved it if I could see him in person. Kerun is now run by Keiichi's son, preserving the same atmosphere and flavor that has not changed since.  Kerun https://goo.gl/maps/y3ic4NwPkYhWHLJUA A documentary film...

I visited the Japan Folk Craft Museum, Osaka (Nippon Mingeikan), located in the Banpaku Memorial Park. I've been into Japanese folk craft so much lately. I like the idea of Mingei which Soetsu Yanagi advocated. The concept of mingei (民芸), variously translated into English as "folk craft", "folk art" or "popular art", was developed from the mid-1920s in Japan by a philosopher and aesthete, Yanagi Sōetsu (1889–1961), together with a group of craftsmen, including the potters Hamada Shōji (1894–1978) and Kawai Kanjirō (1890–1966). As such, it was a conscious attempt to distinguish ordinary crafts and functional utensils (pottery, lacquerware, textiles, and so on) from "higher" forms of art – at the time much admired by people during a period when Japan was going through rapid westernisation, industrialisation, and urban growth. In some ways, therefore, mingei may be seen as a reaction to Japan's rapid modernisation processes. Mingei Wikipedia...