#205 Goryoukaku

Hokkaido, Hakodate 2/1/2024 Fort Goryokaku (五稜郭, Goryōkaku) is a massive, star-shaped, Western-style citadel, which was built in the last years of the Edo Period (1603-1868) for the defense of Hakodate against the imperialist threat posed by the Western powers. A few years later, the fort became the site of a civil war between an army of the shogunate and the superior troops of the newly established Meiji government . After the fort had lost its military importance, it was

Structure/Architecture

#204 Hakodate City Museum of Northern Peoples

Hakodate, Hokkaido My first visit to Hokkaido (2/1/2024) The northern peoples, rooted in the northern climate, have their own traditional and unique culture. Among the few northern people materials in the world, those formerly held at Hakodate Museum and those collected by Baba Osamu and Kodama Sakuzaemon, Hakodate-born authorities in anthropology, archaeology, and ethnology, are widely known both in Japan and abroad as masterpieces that tell the story of northern culture. Ba

Structure/Architecture

#203 Isejingu Ooharai

Ise, Mie 1/31/2024 This is a ritual to purify the chief priest and other priests and musicians prior to the Niinamesai festival in February. https://www.isejingu.or.jp/ritual/annual/

Event

#202 Ise Udon　

Ise shi, Mie ken Ise udon is a type of thick, soft wheat noodle from Ise, Japan, known for being served in a rich, dark soy sauce-based broth . It is a local specialty of Mie Prefecture and is often topped with green onions and sometimes egg yolks for a simple yet flavorful dish that became popular with travelers visiting the Ise Grand Shrine. Stopped by one near Okage Yokocho next to Ise Jingu. https://en.ise-kanko.jp/focus/iseudon/

Sake and Food