Izu, Shizuoka The Nirayama Reverberatory Furnace (韮山反射炉, Nirayama Hansharo) is a well preserved iron smelting facility. Built by the Tokugawa government in 1857, the furnace represents the start of modern iron production in Japan. Originally part of a larger factory complex, the furnace was constructed of local stones and bricks. It represented the most advanced technology of the time, and iron produced there was processed on site and cast into cannons, which were desperatel

Atami, Shizuoka MOA Museum of Art opened to the public in 1982. Built on a hillside overlooking Sagami Bay, the MOA provides breathtaking ocean views on a fine day. Its impressive collection which includes three registered National Treasures and about seventy Important Cultural Properties ranges from woodblock prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige, including the iconic Great Wave off Kanagawa, to exquisite urushi lacquer wares, Buddhism sculptures and bronze artefacts from ancient

Aomori The Nebuta Museum WA-RASSE is a facility that introduces the history and charms of the Aomori Nebuta Festival. Conveniently located near JR Aomori station. https://www.nebuta.jp/warasse/foreign/english.html

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

Suo Oshima Cho, Yamaguchi Ken During the Meiji era (1885-1894), Suo Oshima sent 3,913 people to Hawaii. Many people from Suo Oshima went...