The Nitoyo Coast stretches from the southern part of Oita Prefecture to the northern part of Miyazaki Prefecture, and it's famous for one thing in particular - rock oysters. The oysters in this part of the country are nourished by […]
Metsa, comprising Metsa Village and Moomin Valley Park, is a Moomin theme park in rural Saitama. However, it can be reached from Tokyo in just over an hour by either public transport or by car. The Umbrella Sky Project is […]
Hisaizu Shrine is located in Iwatsuki Ward in Saitama City. It is known fondly as the "Quiz" shrine as the kanji (Chinese characters) for the shrine 久伊豆 can be read as "Ku - i - zu". Hence many people pray […]
The Gion Matsuri (Gion Festival) is a month-long festival that takes place in Kyoto in July each year. The name comes from the neighborhood of Gion, which is home to some of the more traditional parts of Kyoto—including the geisha […]
Each year during Japan's rainy season, Fukushima's Jupia Land Hirata is home to an impressive hydrangea festival which also coincides with a variety of colorful lilies in bloom. There are a number of paved walking paths through the grounds where […]
There's no doubt that the evolution of technology has presented new opportunities in the art world. Tokyo-based favorites like TeamLab Borderless and TeamLab Planets are just a couple of examples of immersive, technology-based art exhibitions, and this summer there will […]
Held every July, this is the fourth of Japan’s six annual Sumo Tournaments, known as honbasho. With sumo rankings released a few weeks before, it’s a chance to see the traditional sport up close and personal. While the fights are […]
In the Tone River area, every summer in just a few towns acrobats performs a curious centuries-old ritual that is sure to astound locals and visitors alike. This is Tsukumai, a rite meant to invite rains to bless agriculture. Noda […]
Natsu Biraki Music Festival in Tokyo will be held at the Arena Tachikawa Tachihi in Tachikawa. Hugely popular, mid-July music event held over three days has grown immensely over the last decade. The festival features many of Japan's most engagingly […]
From Saturday, July 10th until Sunday, August 1st, Chiba's Sakura Furusato Square will host a Windmill Sunflower Garden event. Approximately 15,000 sunflowers will be in full bloom during the event dates, including the Vincent sunflower variety named after none other […]
Japan's most well-known summertime lavender fields are likely to be those at Furano in Hokkaido, but there are numerous other options to enjoy a sea of purple across the country. One such option is at Gunma's Tambara Lavender Park, which […]
The Miyagawacho Beer Garden is a rare occasion where you can enjoy beer, daily specialties served by neighboring restaurants, and Classical Japanese dance by the Maiko (apprentice geisha) of Miyagawacho Kabukai. Miyagawacho Kabukai is one of the five famous groups […]
From April 9th until September 6th, 2022, the POLA Museum of Art will host an exhibition to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the venue's opening. The event will focus on new items in the museum's collection, with works on display […]
Sumo is lauded as the national sport of Japan and six times every year, around Japan, tournaments (honbasho) are held in various parts of the country. The Nagoya-basho is held in July at the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, located right next […]
The Yasukuni Shrine is notable for many things: its history, its purpose, and the intense political controversy surrounding it. For a few nights each summer, however, many people put aside their political stances and enjoy the wonderful Mitama Festival. "Mitama" […]
The Kokura Gion festival is a frenzy of mid-summer community drumming in northern Kyushu and is held annually over three days from the third Friday through Sunday of July. Kokura Gion Festival Report In the middle of July, I took […]
Walking the narrow streets of small town Akaoka at night with nothing illuminating the way but candlelight and paper lanterns strung up above, one instantly notices this is not your typical festival. Feeling a little more like Halloween, Ekin Festival […]