Travel + Leisure's votes on World Best City Kyoto voted the world's best city... with Charleston, South Carolina and Siem Reap close behind (but London and New York are nowhere in sight) Travel + Leisure by Katie Amey for MailOnline | Published: 08:37 GMT, 8 July 2015 | Updated: 10:29 GMT, 8 July 2015 This year, voters have chosen Kyoto, Japan, as the world's most intriguing city. For the second year in a row, Kyoto has taken top place in Time Inc.'s Travel + Leisure's annual World's Best List. The Amer… Read more

A tour through Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto is referred to as the “Golden Route” of Japan, an ideal tour for the first-time visitor to Japan. Picture above is Hakone The "Golden Route" includes Tokyo, Mt.Fuji, Hakone and a ride on the famous “Bullet train(Shinkansen)” to the historic city of Kyoto. Tokyo is where modern and traditional live side by side: the famous sights of contemporary Japan like Akih… Read more

Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima The last ferry boat from Miyajima-guchi arrives at 22:52.… Read more

Gojyu-no-to (Five Storied Pagoda) 五重塔 at Itsukushima-shrine 厳島神社 Pagodas were originally used as reliquaries like Indian Stupa but, in many cases, as in Japan, they ended up losing this function. Rurikouji (瑠璃光寺), Yamaguchi-ken (National Treasure) Buddhist Temple 31.2m , built :1442 Pagodas are typicallly Buddhist and an important component of Japanese Buddhist temple compounds but, because of… Read more

Kyoto Gion Matsuri Grand Float Parades 山鉾巡行(July 17 and 24th) were over.... (Above images were both previous years') 60,000 people watched the Atomatsuri Float Parade on July 24. (Above picture taken on July 24, 2015) Noticed there were 2 unique shaped floats? This "Fune-hoko" and Ato-matsuri's "Oofune-hoko". http://blog-imgs-80.fc2.… Read more

Miyajima Itsukushima Shrine and Fireworks… Read more

Oze(尾瀬) is Japan's largest highland marsh, and is famous as an area rich in rare and precious plants and a n i m a l s. Located in Oze National Park, the marsh is said to have been formed in the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago. Because of the special geographical conditions of the highland basin, plants that evolved in the Ice Age are still growing naturally now. The beautiful scenery is especially enjoyable when the marsh is covered with blooming skunk cabbage(水芭蕉) in spring and day lilies(日光キスゲ) in summer.… Read more

Famous for pampas grass in autumn… Read more

Don't Forget OSAKA ! Tenjin Matsuri Festival is HOT. Tenjin Matsuri Fireworks Along with the Gion Matsuri of Kyoto and the Kanda Matsuri of Tokyo, Tenjin Matsuri(天神祭) of Osaka's with1,000 year-old history is considered as one of Japan's 3 big festivals. Today July 25 is the second and the last day of highlight with a land procession and a river procession accompanied by as many as 5,000 fireworks in the evening. The… Read more

Yokohama (Minato-Mirai)… Read more

July 24 / Two Big Events : Grand Float Parade (from09:30am) and Hanagasa Parade (10am~12noon) Today is Atomatsuri*(後祭り). 2 Big Events will be in action : Yamaboko Junko & Hanagasa Parade. Yamaboko Junko(山鉾巡行) starts at Karasuma Onike from 09:30 (*Atomatsuri : From last year 2014, The Grand Float Parade have been split into two times events by different floats) , the first (this year 23 floats, mainly "Hoko" floats on July 17, called "Sakimatsuri")with more floats and one week later with smalle… Read more

Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, Hiroshima-ken… Read more

Goza Shirahama Beach in Shima-city (志摩市御座白浜海岸) Clear, clean seawater of Ago-bay(英虞湾) with shelving bottom, makes this sand beach one of the “100 Selected Comfortable Beaches in Japan." The beach is situated at the tip of a long winding peninsula and it can directly be reached by a boat (25minutes) from Kashikojima* (賢島) railway station at the opposite side of the Ago-bay. (*賢島=Kashikojima=A Venue of 2016 G7 Summit) Cit… Read more

Thank you for the excellent dish and wine ... What a wonderful night with you ... you jokingly say you're still hungry ....… Read more

For nearly 26 years beginning in1956, Rokuro Taniuchi 谷内六郎, a Japanese Artist/Illustrator painted over 1,300 covers for " Shukan Shincho=週刊新潮 ", the pioneering weekly news and literary magazine in Japan. The above was the first issue(Feb.29. 1956) of "Shukan Shinchou" weekly magazine. The cover of Shukan Shincho, July 20, 1969 issue : Mr. Taniuchi was mostly specialized in heart-warming human sketches, many were made for c h i… Read more

Pai-chan is making an extensive train travel in Japan .... alone .... looking for a nice friend .... I go to bed tonight now ... can you share dinner with me tomorrow ?… Read more

This natural sandbar is called "Amanohashidate (天橋立)" and located in Miyazu Bay(宮津湾) of northern Kyoto Prefecture, one of Japan's three scenic views *(日本三景). What if we see it this way ... let's try ! A thin strip of land connects two opposing sides of Miyazu Bay. This sand bar is 3.3 km long and covered with about 7,000 pine trees. It can be… Read more

I go to bed ....… Read more