May 1st, 2019 was the first day of the Reiwa era. Japanese eras change whenever there is a new emperor, and former emperor Akihito was granted permission (yes, even emperors need permission) to abdicate the throne to his son Naruhito for health reasons. Because most eras change due to the death of an emperor, era…
Tag: history
Nagoya Castle
Nagoya city gets a bad rap as just a fly by (or glide by on the Shinkansen) between Tokyo and Kyoto or Osaka, but the truth is Nagoya is quite an interesting city if you take time to explore it. For the most part, tourists are most familiar with Nagoya Castle, an expansive castle of…
Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
The value of land in Tokyo has created some difficult decisions when it comes to preserving historic buildings. One way Tokyo has dealt with this issue is the construction of the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei Park. Historic buildings on valuable plots of land were relocated and rebuilt in this museum, which contains…
Kanazawa
Kanazawa sits on the nearly forgotten west coast of Japan, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. Kanazawa has a rich history and a strong bond with traditional Japanese culture, so it is no surprise that Kenryokuen, considered one of the three finest Japanese gardens, is in this city. Tsuzumimon, a huge gate built to resemble traditional…
川越 Kawagoe (Saitama)
The city of Kawagoe is barely half an hour from central Tokyo by express train, but it feels like you have traveled back in time when you arrive there. While Tokyo experienced fires and bombings that destroyed many of its ancient buildings, Kawagoe was spared from bombing during WW2 and before that, made some decisions that helped…
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