In all seasons except Winter, Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi Prefecture is a wonderland of gorgeous seasonal flowers including one of the largest wisteria that blooms for a few weeks in the Spring. But in Winter, the park must transform itself into a carnival of lights, over 3.5 million in 2016, to become one of…
Tag: beautiful
Tohoku Week – Shichigahama
Shichigahama sits south of the ruggedly scenic Matsushima Bay and north of the city of Sendai. Known for its fishing waters and as a summer vacation haven, Shichigahama attracts visitors from around Japan for its natural beauty. Void of the many islands protecting the coast in Matsushima Bay, several of its beaches are popular with local surfers….
Hida Takayama
Hidden away in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, Hida Takayama is probably most famous for its biannual Takayama Matsuri, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from across Japan to see one of the most amazing parades of historic floats in the entire country. The next festival takes place in April 2017, giving you some…
Toden Arakawa Streetcars
The Toden Arakawa line is one of two remaining streetcar lines in Tokyo, running from the Waseda University area north before abruptly turning east to end at Minowabashi, in the northeastern part of Tokyo. Although the cars are thoroughly modern, riding them feels like stepping back in time, when conductors greeted people on the streets…
Chichibu Shibazakura
Every year for about six weeks, a mountainside park about 90 minutes outside of Tokyo turns into a controlled explosion of pink, white and lavender flowers. They are shibazakura 芝桜 , known as phlox in English, and they grow like a carpet of flowers against the mountain backdrop of Saitama. Chichibu is a town in…
靖国園 Yasukuni Garden
Many visitors to Japan might choose to skip Yasukuni Shrine as a destination due to its controversial status in the international community. And that would be a shame because Yasukuni is one of the most beautiful places for 花見 cherry blossom viewing in the Spring. Those who do a little exploring might find this hidden gem:…
Spring Window Display
The changing seasons in Japan are heralded by retail shops in the content of their window displays. The cherry blossom obviously plays a huge role in representing the coming of Spring, and color palettes often change to reflect the colors of these gorgeous blooms. Pastel shades of pink, off-white and green are traditionally used, and…
湯葉 Yuba (Tofu skin)
Kyoto cuisine is beautiful to look at, so beautiful you might forget to take the first bite. But what is that odd item in the middle that is neither fish nor fowl? That is yuba, or “tofu skin” which is actually skimmed off the top of tofu during the curdling process. The taste is pretty…
Roppongi Illumination
Winter is the season for illumination exhibitions, Japan’s answer to Christmas lights. Throughout the country, cities, towns, and neighborhoods compete for the attention of millions of people looking to enjoy a brisk evening stroll with a loved one while being entertained by thousands of dazzling lights. Roppongi has two major illuminations, one covering a huge…
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