Hinamatsuri in Shimonoseki’s Samurai Town
Hinamatsuri, also called Girls’ Day, is a doll festival held every year in Japan on March 3. Traditionally known as Momo-no-sekku, or the Peach Festival, it began as a cleansing…
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Katsuoji: The Temple of Winning Luck
In the mountains of Minoh, Osaka, is a centuries-old Buddhist temple decorated with thousands of red daruma dolls. Known as “the temple of winning luck,” visitors from around the world…
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A Walking Tour of Kagawa’s Port City
This article is featured on GPSmyCity. To download it for offline reading, or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours…
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A Quick Guide to Okayama’s Art Island
This article is featured on GPSmyCity. To download it for offline reading, or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted, go to Walking Tours and Articles in…
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Kyoto’s Iconic Bamboo Forest
Is Arashiyama worth it? It’s a question I, and many other travellers, too, I’m sure, have pondered. Kyoto’s iconic bamboo forest gets mixed reviews. You’ve probably already seen pictures of…
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Mimurotoji: The Hydrangea Temple
Japan’s rainy season, known as tsuyu, isn’t my favorite time of year. Starting in mid-June, it’s a long period of rainfall and humidity that lasts until mid-July (followed by the…
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Inside Kobe’s Art Aquarium
Atoa Aquarium (stylized as átoa) is one of Kobe’s newest attractions, having opened just a few years ago in 2021. Located in Kobe Port, just across the water from Kobe…
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A Stroll Through Kokoen
Just southwest of Himeji Castle, lies a beautiful Japanese garden that offers gorgeous views of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kokoen is 3.5 hectares (8.5 acres) in size and consists…
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Himeji Castle: The White Heron
I’ve seen a fair amount of Japanese castles on my travels (there are over 200, so this is no hard task) and while they’re all interesting and unique in their…
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A Walking Tour of Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
The city of Kurashiki, in Okayama Prefecture, was once a bustling trade town during the Edo period. The traditional buildings, concentrated along the willow-lined Kurashiki River, have been preserved in…
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A Quick Guide to Kojima Jeans Street
Okayama is best known as the home of Momotaro, a beloved folktale about a boy born from a peach. But the prefecture is also the birthplace of Japanese denim. In…
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