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…
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The Town That Inspired ‘Ponyo’
Studio Ghibli’s hand-drawn films are some of Japan’s greatest treasures. Co-founder Miyazaki Hayao has directed more than half of the animation studio’s works, including the highly acclaimed My Neighbor Totoro…
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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,…
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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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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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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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A Walking Tour of Mojiko Retro Town
On the northern edge of Kyushu lies Mojiko—an international trade port that opened in 1889. Today, the area is preserved as a historical district, offering visitors the chance to step…
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Exploring Kyoto’s Higashiyama District
If you’ve ever looked up Kyoto on social media, chances are you’ve scrolled through a dozen pictures of people posing in a traditional-looking street with a tall pagoda in the…
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A Quick Guide to Kyoto’s Sake District
The Fushimi area in southern Kyoto is one of Japan’s major sake production sites. Located at the junction of the Uji, Katsura, and Kamo Rivers, it’s blessed with high-quality springs…
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