Discoveries from around the archipelago
Most visitors to Kyoto can't help but taste the old capital's specialty sweet - yatsuhashi. While traditional yatsuhashi is a hard cinnamon-flavored cookie, the stands that line the road up to Kiyomizu Temple do a brisk business in both selling and offering samples of the nama (raw) version - a chewy, glutinous confectionary. Namayatsuhashi are normally shaped like a triangle... Continue Reading →
It's July 1st and I've got to say, the heat is STILL not here. I'm a bit surprised that rainy season has lasted so long this year, with no break yet in sight. (It's currently pouring.) Not that I am complaining, mind you. I am not a fan of the stifling summer temperatures. Summertime means sweat,... Continue Reading →
In the latter years of World War II, as Japan was pressed back from her Pacific conquests, 1036 army pilots sortied from air bases in the southern part of Japan. They would never return. Their memories live on however, at the Chiran Peace Memorial Museum for kamikaze pilots (known in Japanese as tokko), an incredibly... Continue Reading →
Before I came to Japan, most of my knowledge of Japanese history revolved around ninja, samurai and a whole lot of Tokugawas. I was fairly familiar with the years surrounding World War II, and I had vague recollections of some prehistoric period called the Jomon Era mentioned in my Japanese language texts in college, but... Continue Reading →
Quick - name a Japanese historical figure. (And no, Ken Watanabe's character in The Last Samurai does NOT count.) Chances are one of two names comes to mind - Emperor Meiji, the man who oversaw Japan's emergence as a modern power, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the samurai who fought to unite Japan and ushered in an... Continue Reading →
It might sound silly, but I get really excited about Japan's manhole covers. That's because over 1500 communities in Japan - ranging from tiny villages to megacities - have specially designed manhole covers that showcase what makes their town known. It's literally a piece of art beneath a traveler's feet. I hope you enjoy this bimonthly series on... Continue Reading →
