Category Archives: Japan

Dogo Onsen Matsuyama is the largest city on Shikoku and the capital of Ehime Prefecture. At the heart of the city stands Matsuyamajo, a beautiful, original castle. The castle’s hilltop vantage point offers a view of the city and a … Continue reading →

Matsuyama Castle (Matsuyamajo) is one of Japan’s most beautiful original castles. It is located on Katsuyama (Mount Katsu), a steep hill in the city center, that provides visitors to the castle with a bird’s eye view of Matsuyama and the … Continue reading →

Ishiteji’s Niomon Gate Ishiteji, literally meaning “stone hand temple” due to a local legend, is number 51 of the 88 temples on the Shikoku Pilgrimage. It is also Matsuyama’s most famous temple, located near Dogo Onsen. Pilgrims dressed in white … Continue reading →

Shikido: replication of Shiki’s childhood home Matsuyama is a city rich in literary talent and history. The 20th century in particular saw Matsuyama rise to prominence in Japan’s literary realm. Three important writers were either born in the city, or … Continue reading →

Uchiko’s name became synonymous with high quality white wax production in the late 19th century. At that time, wealthy local merchants built new homes or added to their own, resulting in beautiful streets lined with large, stylish, Meiji Period houses. … Continue reading →

The Naruto whirlpools occur on the Shikoku side of the Naruto Straight, and are created by the large volumes of water moving between the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean between high and low tide, combined with the unique … Continue reading →

The Otsuka Museum of Art was built in Naruto Park on the occasion of the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Group’s 75th anniversary. It is the largest museum in Japan, featuring life-size reproductions of virtually every representative masterpiece of Western art from antiquity … Continue reading →

Niseko is perhaps the most famous ski resort town in Japan, known for tons of light powder snow, its spectacular back country, and a large amount of foreigners, especially Australians who are responsible for popularizing the resort with foreign travelers … Continue reading →

Sapporo (”important river flowing through a plain” in Ainu language) is the capital of Hokkaido and Japan’s fifth largest city. Sapporo is also one of the nation’s youngest major cities. In 1857, the city’s population stood at just seven people. … Continue reading →

The Historic Village of Hokkaido (kaitaku no mura) is an open air museum in the suburbs of Sapporo. It exhibits about 60 typical buildings from all over Hokkaido, dating from the Meiji and Taisho Periods (1868 to 1926), the era … Continue reading →