Yaeyama Stargazing – What to Know
by Philbert Ono Updated: Jan. 26, 2021 Part of an article series on Yaeyama folklore in scenic Okinawa, Japan. (八重山名勝の民話・民謡の英語訳シリーズ記事) On a recent trip to Japan’s most remote islands, the…
Tsuki nu Kaisha in English (月ぬ美しゃ)
by Philbert Ono Updated: January 6, 2021 Part of an article series on Yaeyama folklore in scenic Okinawa, Japan.(八重山名勝の民話・民謡の英語訳シリーズ記事) Called tsukimi (月見) in Japanese, moon viewing has long been a…
Yaeyama folk songs – Nosoko Maape
by Philbert Ono Updated: Jan. 6, 2020 Part of an article series on Yaeyama folklore in scenic Okinawa, Japan.(八重山名勝の民話・民謡の英語訳シリーズ記事) Mt. Nosokodake (野底岳), north of central Ishigaki, is Ishigaki’s second highest…
Kameido Tenjin Shrine Wisteria
Kameido Tenjin Shrine (亀戸天神社) is one of Tokyo’s most beloved Shinto shrines. It has pretty flowers, it’s photogenic, it’s historical, and it retains a local ambience. From late April to…
Kyoto by the Sea: Amanohashidate
by Philbert Ono, updated Feb. 19, 2024 “Kyoto by the Sea” (海の京都) is a tourism catch phrase for northern Kyoto Prefecture that mainly faces the Sea of Japan. This region…
Kyoto by the Sea: Tango Peninsula and Chirimen silk
On a map, Tango Peninsula (Tango Hanto 丹後半島) in northern Kyoto Prefecture looks like a short thumb sticking into the Sea of Japan. Some parts of the coast are quite…
Visit to Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture
In Oct. 2018, I visited Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture for the first time. Famous for the Oriental white stork, Toyooka turned out to be a great tourist town with lots to…
Tokyo’s best cherry blossom spots
Updated: March 25, 2023 Happy spring! Here’s an illustrated list of Tokyo’s top cherry blossoms (sakura). I’ve included both famous (crowded) and not so famous spots in central, western, and…
Final plum blossoms in Ome
Very sad to hear that all the plum trees in Ome, Tokyo’s Yoshino Baigo will be cut down in an attempt to stop the spread of the plum pox virus.…
Shinjuku Gyoen in autumn
Went to Shinjuku Gyoen Garden in Tokyo in Nov. 2013 to shoot autumn leaves. More Shinjuku Gyoen fall photos here.