Articles by Category

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

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

Mie ken, Ise shi 古殿地（Kodenchi) さざれ石、たから石 (Sazare ishi, Takara ishi) 佐瑠女(さるめ)神社（Sarume jinja) Sarutahiko Shrine is dedicated to Sarutahiko...

Takihara, Mie ken January, 2024 This is one of the most impressive places I visited. Takiharamiya Shrine is an important shrine that...

Yamaguchi ken, Shimonoseki shi According to some research, there are petrograph ( geometric carvings carved into rocks and boulders）...

Yamaguchi ken, Shimonoseki shi This shrine was built to commemorate the spirit of the six-year-old Emperor Antoku, who died here during...

Yamaguchi ken, Shimonoseki shi Sumiyoshi jinja is known for its serene atmosphere, traditional architecture, and its role as a place of...

Yamaguchi Ken, Yamaguchi shi No.26th of the 88 sacred sites of Yamaguchi city located in Doso The object of worship is "the large rock...

Yamaguchi Ken, Yanai shi Joined a historical walk through Yanai Minato and Yanai, organized by Yanai Nipponbare Kaido Kyogikai. ...

Kagoshima Ken, Yakushima Yaku-jinja Shrine is located in Miyanoura. This shrine was established in 806 A.D. as a guardian of both...

Miyazaki Ken, Takachiho The shrine is dedicated to Amaterasu, and the nearby cave is called Amano Iwato. The cave is located on the other...

Kumamoto Ken, Aso This atmospheric shrine is hidden among the cypress forests surrounding Takamori, a small town at the foot of Mt. Aso....

Yamaguchi Ken, Yanai shi Chausuyama Tumulus is a keyhole-shaped tumulus that was built between the end of the 4th century and the...

Shizuoka ken, Atami Kinomiya-jinja is a Shinto shrine located in the upper part of Atami, in the north-east of Izu peninsula. Visitors...

Tokyo, Marunouchi There are reliefs of the zodiac signs embedded in the ceiling of the dome at the Marunouchi Kitaguchi entrance, but...

Yamaguchi ken, Hikari shi Fugenji Temple, located in Murozumi, which has long been developed as a good port for transportation on the...

Suo Oshima, Yamaguchi Ken An old shrine located in Shitata (Nishikata) , overlooking Seto Inland Sea and Mt. Misen, Miyajima. Suo Oshima...

Kumamoto Shi, Kumamoto Ken Due to the earthquake in the Kyushu region in April 2016, Kumamoto Castle is currently undergoing restoration...

Yanai Shi, Yamaguchi Ken The closest JR train station to my hometown island. The Seto Inland Sea ”Obatake Seto” spreads out in front of...

Shibuya, Tokyo Meiji Jingu, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. After...