The Shrines and Temples of Nikko are in a single complex with one hundred and three religious buildings. There are two Shinto shrines (Futarasan Shrine and Toshogu) and one Buddhist Temple (Rinno-ji). Far too many for one visit so we decided to concentrate on Toshogu and even then there are 42 buildings. Not only is the Toshogu Shrine dedicated to one of the most important figures, Tokugawa Iesasu, in Japanese history, it is one of the most decorated and expensive…
Our most recent trip, a weekend in Nikko which is a small city in the mountains and about two hours north of Tokyo. We thought we had it sorted; a train trip and a Nikko pass giving us free bus passes in the area. We arrived at 8 pm in pitch darkness. No street lights, but then crime isn’t a problem, and no buses or taxis. We eventually found a telephone number for a taxi and got a ride to…
There is so much to appreciate here, but the status of women is not one. And being a guest in the country, I don’t like to be publicly critical but this is an area in which I refuse to remain silent. Every year the World Economic Forum publishes a report that measures women’s participation in four key areas – economic, political, education and health. Japan scored highly in education & health but I want to tell you about economic participation…
We had independently read good reviews of the old part of Narita, the city not the airport, and decided to visit on Saturday. And we totally lucked out since the Gion Festival was taking place. This is in part a religious observance (ironically set up to pray for a deliverance from a plague of sickness in 869 … so I hope it worked for Covid!) but also a raucous street festival with much food and drinks available along the streets….
After a long trip spent with family …. new, young, old & even older, I arrived back at the beginning of June. Good news was the speedy trip through the airport but this positive start quickly deteriorated with jetlag and my first Covid infection. But the jetlag was the biggest problem. Trains It is lovely to see Tokyo with fresh eyes again and think again about the things I love about Japan. High on the list has to be the…
I have joined the committee of St David’s Society Japan and we finally held our event one month and one day late. Of course Covid was the reason for the delay, but we added another day to avoid April 1st just in case people thought we were joking. It made me reflect on the St David’s events that I have attended …. just 3 and none in Wales! A posh ball in Hong Kong with Jiffy as guest, a daytime…
Sadly, the sakura season has almost come to an end. Almost constant rain these last few days has stripped so much blossom off the trees. And sadly, the weather hasn’t been good enough for much Hanami (picnics under the blossoming cherry trees.) The wonderful show is over, but we can look forward to a show of tulips, azaleas, wisteria, peonies nd much more throughout the year. I have included a few photos from various sakura walks that I have been…
The Post Office is definitely my bete noir, although the staff are generally very pleasant. With my utter lack of Japanese language and their lack of English, we have some interesting run-ins. The most recent involved me posting two parcels and Japan Post cancelling all parcel post to the UK and Europe the following day. Fair enough. But it took four visits and 21 days before the parcels were returned. On one visit a staff member suggested phoning me to…
A short boat ride from Hiroshima, is Miyajima, the Island of Shrines, with World Heritage status. It is famous for it’s large red torii rising out of the sea in front of the shrine. Unfortunately for us, it is undergoing renovation and is totally covered! But the Itsukushima Shrine is also fascinating as it is built on stilts and the tide comes in underneath it. When you arrive on the island, you immediately run into scabby deer looking to scavenge…
Of course there is much more to Hiroshima than the Peace Park, so here are a few highlights. The city was rebuilt on a grid system and a tram system put in place. Hiroshima is famous for okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake with layers of shredded cabbage and noodles, which is incredibly filling. Theses are often topped with oysters, another local delicacy. Mitaki-dera Temple Sited just north of Hiroshima on the slopes of Mount Mitaki, this temple is dedicated to the…