Hakuba Village, Nagano-ken (長野県 白馬村) The village is located at the center of one of Japan's largest winter skiing and mountain recreation areas.… Read more

The western half of Hiroshima Prefecture was called "Aki" (安芸), and eastern side "Bingo" (備後) until 1871. Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県 Hiroshima-ken) (Hiroshima-city is the capital) has a population of around 2.8 million. Hatsukaichi (Miyajima), Kure (Naval base), Fuchu (Mazda Motors HQ), Onomichi, Fukuyama, Mihara, Shobara and Miyoshi etc are well known big cities within Hiroshima-Prefecture. Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Chūgoku region connecting to Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi-ken. Toward… Read more

Miracle is ....... Stressful ..... Kumamoto Earthquake still continues ...… Read more

Myogisan (妙義山) in Gunma-ken is not a high mountain, its highest point at Soumadake (相馬岳) reaching a mere 1,104 metres, not much higher than the elevation of Karuizawa City' highest point (929m). (Myogi-san in Summer) It’s not, however, Myogi’s height that draws people but rather its fantastic appearance. Like the crumbled remains of an ancient rotting tree stump, Myogi’s rocks stick up from the forest and thrust cliffs, spires and need… Read more

Oyama Senmaida is the closest terraced rice fields from Tokyo. The only one in Japan that grows rice only with rainwater and is also known for the beautifully curved ridges. Terraced rice fields are common in Japan’s mountainous countryside, where agriculture has been active for thousands of years. They are built in stair-like tiers along the slope of a mountain or a valley and are often called “Senmaida”=千枚田, or thousand rice fields, because the field is divided into many small sections. Stones and m… Read more

Jindaiji (深大寺), Chōfu (調布) is a western suburb of Tokyo within approximately 15 minutes train ride from Shinjuku.. The feeling you get when you step out of Chofu Station is pretty much the same as for any suburban town or city in the Tokyo Metropolis. However, just a few minutes away, in the leafy environs of Jindaiji Temple, it’s possible to imagine you are walking in the footsteps of the Uesugi samurai clan of the 15th to 17th centuries, and to imagine the hustle and bustle generated by the countless tradesmen… Read more

Behind a small rocky islet close to the coast, on top of which a few weather-beaten pine trees edge out a living, you get a full view over Toyama Bay and right behind it, you can see the snow-covered mountains of the Tateyama Massif rise up more than 3000 meters. Amaharashi Bach, Takaoka-city, Toyama-ken… Read more

Mount Fuji (3,776m) : a spring ice cream cone / 09:00am May 04 (00:00UTC May 04) Temperature at 21:00 / - 9.8c on the mountain top / +18c at the foot of mountain… Read more

Kawadoko(川床) is Kyoto's traditional summer pasttime of dining outdoors on temporary platforms built over flowing water. Developed as a way to beat the summer heat, kawadoko is a great way to experience one of the traditional Kyoto cuisines while taking in the cooling effects of the flowing water and lively summer atmosphere. The most famous area to experience kawadoko is along the Kamogawa River in central Kyoto, especially around Pontocho. From May to September, restaurants here construct temporary woo… Read more

Terraced Rice Pad, Chizu-cho, Tottori-ken… Read more

"Day" of Yokohama - The 64th Yokohama Parade Today is Yokohama's Annual International Costume Parade 2016 Day. Many marching bands and dance teams from local High Schools, Communities, and Companies. At 10:45, "K i d's Parade" to start. Total 12 teams ..... then "Super Parade" 42 teams. Parade Course: Yamashita Park (Yamashitacho, Naka Ward) ->… Read more

A small thatched-roof house in Shirakawa-go Village, Gifu-ken People talk about a proposed new modern hotel construction in the near future nearby ... pros and cons .... but probably the owner of this house won't care ......… Read more

"Three reasons why it’s okay to be a girly girl in Japan" quote from Rocket News 24 | Evie Lund | Dec 2, 2015 Want to wear Hello Kitty accessories and still be taken seriously? In Japan you can. Here’s why. Japan remains a largely patriarchal society. There is a gender gap, and while women in Japan today may have more opportunities to advance at work than before, many women still choose a life of c h i l drearing and home-making over grinding away in an office. In fact, some women might even say that there’s a lo… Read more

Today is “Hachi-ju-hachiya” or the 88th day after Risshun=立春 (start of Spring) according to lunar calendar. For Japanese tea farmers today is very important which is similar to the day of first Beaujolais Nouveau in France. It is said that the tea leaves (green tea) picked on “Hachi-ju-hachiya”, commonly called "Shincha =新茶”or "New Tea" is a high-quality tea, and that people who drink this "Shincha" will be in good health throughout a whole year. There also is said that “Hachi-ju-hachiya no wakare-jimo” (The last frost… Read more

In Hida-Takayama a Spring (Karakuri puppet) Float Festival was held on April 30 to celebrate the City's 80th Anniversary. The street parade of the Karakuri puppet floats was planned on April 29 and 30th, but due to rain the procession was held only on 30th. (The picture was from annual Takayama Matsuri, Spring 2014) It's a special and the only festival that you could enjoy processing of HIda-Takayama's famous puppet floats (4 floats from Spring Festival and 1 float from Autumn Festival ) parading at… Read more

Mizubasho 水芭蕉 (Asian Skunk Cabbage) Now in full bloom in Katashina-village, Gunma-ken (close to Oze, Nikko marshland)… Read more

Sumire, when asked why she cries after the kinbaku session, turns pensive. Asked if she could be remembering something, she says “yeah, maybe” and turns away, with the saddest look in the world on her face. Hiroki admits that even after making the film, he’s not sure what drives these women. But, he adds, “when they’re all tied up, unable to move, that feeling they get of release, that I can really understand. Even if it’s not kinbaku, everybody gets that feeling sometimes.” (Hiroki : Ryuichi Hid… Read more

The annual "Golden Week" holiday exodus has started in Japan today. Highways, railways and airports are crowded as people head for vacation destinations or their hometowns. Traffic slowed to a crawl along a 30-kilometer stretch of the Tomei Expressway, a major Highway linking Tokyo and Nagoya. Other highways are also heavily congested. Railway companies say trains on many Shinkansen lines leaving Tokyo were filled to capacity in the morning. Some trains carried more than twice the official passe… Read more

Seashore… Read more