Koya-san in autumn
Wakayama Prefecture is most famous for Koya-san (Mt. Koya 高野山), the headquarters of the Shingon Buddhist sect founded by Kobo Daishi (Kukai); the Kumano Sanzan Shinto shrine trio (熊野三山) deifying…
Wakayama Castle in autumn
Wakayama Castle (和歌山城) is the symbol of the city with impressive castle buildings including the main castle tower reconstructed in October 1958. Although it’s more famous for cherry blossoms, Wakayama…
Awa Odori 2024 schedule in Tokyo-Kanto
Compiled by Philbert Ono, Updated: Aug. 25, 2024 This is the 2024 schedule of Awa Odori dance festivals to be held in the Tokyo/Kanto area (Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa, and Chiba…
Japan’s tourist crowds in spring 2024
Japan is seeing record numbers of foreign tourists ever since Japan fully reopened to overseas tourists in Oct. 2022. The pent-up demand for Japan together with the favorable currency exchange…
Origin of Tottori prefectural name
TOTTORI – Bird Catcher 鳥取県 “Tottori” is one of the few prefectural names featuring an animal and the only one named after an occupation, bird catchers. This makes it quite…
Origin of Hyogo prefectural name
HYOGO – Military Storehouse 兵庫県 Not much is known about how and why the “Hyogo” name came about. There’s only speculation and a few theories. Theory 1: During the Taika…
Origin of Osaka prefectural name
OSAKA – Big Slope 大阪府 The name “Osaka” can be largely credited to Rennyo (蓮如 1415–1499), the 8th Chief Abbot (Monshu) of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Buddhist sect. He built…
Origin of Wakayama prefectural name
WAKAYAMA – Poetry Mountain 和歌山県 Updated: Dec. 15, 2024 Most Japan aficionados would know that waka (和歌) is a famous type of Japanese poetry. So you might think Wakayama is…
Origin of Mie prefectural name
MIE – Trifold 三重県 Most native Japanese can tell you what the literal meaning of Mie is. It’s “three layers.” But three layers of what?? That’s what most people don’t…
Origin of Nara prefectural name
NARA – Flat Slope 奈良県 The “Nara” place name has been around since ancient times and can be found in most all historical Japanese texts including the Kojiki, Nihon Shoki,…