Fukuyama: The City of Roses
Fukuyama is Hiroshima’s second-largest city. I’ve often passed through on the Shinkansen, admiring its five-tiered yamajiro from the train window. The station-adjacent castle is the city’s most obvious draw. Its…
-
-
A Quick Guide to Arita Porcelain Town
In the forested mountains of western Saga is a small town called Arita, which is known for its porcelain. Every Golden Week, it hosts one of Japan’s largest ceramics fairs,…
-
A Walking Tour of Saga City
Even though I lived in Kyushu for four years, I only ever spent time in Saga once. It was for the International Balloon Fiesta, which I decided to attend with…
-
Sculpture and Sakura at Tokiwa Park
For the past three years, I’ve called the small coastal city of Ube home. Once a thriving coal-mining town, it’s now the third-largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, mostly known for…
-
Inside Japan’s Scarecrow Village
Deep in the mountains of Shikoku, where no trains and few buses go, lies a tiny village populated almost entirely by scarecrows. Outnumbering the residents by 10 to 1, the…
-
The Yokai Benches of Fukusaki
Just 25 minutes north of Himeji City by train lies the town of Fukusaki. Surrounded by mountains with the Ichikawa flowing through it, it’s just far enough off the beaten…
-
A Quick Guide to Okayama’s Art Island
Just a few kilometers off the coast of Okayama lies a small island called Inujima. It’s the only inhabited island in the prefecture, with a population of just 47. It’s…
-
Inside Tatsuya Tanaka’s Miniature Life Exhibition
If you haven’t been following Tatsuya Tanaka on Instagram, you’re missing out. The miniature artist has been posting his work daily since 2011, when he first started his Miniature Calendar.…
-
Meissen At Simose Art Museum
While browsing Google Maps one day, as my cartophilia has me do, a particular site in the area caught my eye. Mostly because I mistook it for my own name…
-
The Hidden Gems of Orizuru Tower
Across the street from the Genbaku Dome in Hiroshima stands the 14-floor Orizuru Tower. It’s known for its specialty souvenir store and organic café, which you can easily access from…
-
Inside MUCA: ICONS of Urban Art
Kyoto’s KYOCERA Museum of Art recently hosted the Kansai leg of the MUCA: ICONS of Urban Art—From Banksy to KAWS exhibition, which is currently on tour in Japan. As a…
All posts are shown