06:13Nara was an ancient capital of Japan between 710-784 AD. Nara has a collection of temples in a giant landscaped park. The city celebrated its 1300th anniversary in 2010. Less than an hour’s journey by train on the JR Nara line from Kyoto station, located in the central part of Nara City, this vast green […]
05:53Old post town, Tsumago, in a historic preservation area with important traditional buildings. There was the main road from Tokyo to Kyoto about three hundred years ago, its name Nakasendo can be translated to “road through the central mountains”. At that time, Japan was ruled by the Shogunate. If you were there, you would […]
03:03Ryokan is a Japanese guest house. Fujioto Ryokan is a ryokan in an old post town in a historic preservation area along the old Nagasendo route, can be translated to “road through the central mountains”. Located in Tsumago, surrounded by Japanese style gardens. The inn’s restaurant serves famous local cuisine that has been enjoyed […]
11:21All roads, rails, shipping lanes and planes lead to Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is the most populated urban area in the world, at over 12 million people in the official metropolitan area alone, a population of 35 million people if you include Greater Tokyo. The size of Tokyo can intimidate the first-time visitor. […]
15:14Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over a millennium and carries a reputation as its most beautiful city. Kyoto was among the few Japanese cities that escaped the allied bombings of World War II and as a result, Kyoto still has an abundance of prewar buildings. Visitors may be surprised by how much […]
02:38The Magome / Tsumago Trail is a well-maintained section of the former Nakasendo, the route that ran along the Kiso Valley and connected Tokyo with Kyoto during the Edo Period. The trail is not difficult and is well marked in English and Japanese. It is about 8 km long and should take two to […]
07:13Nikkō, literally “sunlight” or “sunshine”, is a city in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. A popular destination for Japanese and international tourists. The Japanese saying “Never say ‘kekko‘ until you’ve seen Nikko“, kekko meaning beautiful, magnificent. Attractions include the mausoleum of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (Nikkō Tōshō-gū) and that of his grandson Iemitsu (Iemitsu-byō […]