Peace Torii of Hakone Shrine, Lake Ashi, Moto-Hakone
When you visit Hakone, the famous hot spring resort near Mt. Fuji, part of the standard tour route is a lake cruise on a gimmicky pirate boat (upper right photo)…
Warm Japan-Mexico friendship on Onjuku Beach, Chiba
Onjuku is a coastal town with white sand beaches facing the Pacific Ocean. In normal summers, it gets crowded with beachgoers. Upper right photo shows one entrance to the beach.…
Futami Wedded Rocks (Meoto Iwa), Ise, Mie
Japan’s most famous Wedded Rocks, bonded by a sacred rope, are off the quiet Futamigaura Coast. The bigger rock is the husband, and smaller rock the wife. (Gender equality wasn’t…
Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork, Toyooka
Toyooka is a rural city in northern Hyogo, off the beaten path from Kobe and Himeji in southern Hyogo. The city’s famous symbol seen everywhere in town is the Oriental…
Tottori Sand Dunes, Tottori
Tottori Sand Dunes (Tottori Sakyu) is Tottori’s most famous tourist sight, the undisputed symbol of Tottori. You haven’t visited Tottori until you see the sand dunes. The desert-like sand dunes…
Usuki Stone Buddhas, Oita
Japan’s most famous stone buddhas. There are over 60 of them in multiple clusters carved directly on natural stone walls on a hillside. Since many of the stone buddhas are…
Repairing Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto
In April 2016, major earthquakes (M7) struck the city of Kumamoto and badly damaged Kumamoto Castle. Minutes after the earthquake, I noticed a dust cloud above Kumamoto Castle’s main tower…
Naoshima, Kagawa
Naoshima must be one of Japan’s most famous and popular small islands among foreign tourists. When I visited a few years ago, it looked to have more foreign tourists than…
Demise of Tosa Fighting Dogs in Katsurahama, Kochi
Katsurahama Beach is Kochi’s most famous tourist spot (upper photo). Not for swimming though, due to the strong currents. It’s a tourist area with a statue of famous local samurai…
Mt. Unzen Fugendake, Shimabara, Nagasaki
In June 2021, the city of Shimabara marked the 30th anniversary of the tragic June 3, 1991 eruption of Mt. Unzen Fugendake when a huge pyroclastic flow of hot volcanic…