hunza13 – Japan A2Z

History

Episodes objects and individuals from Japanese history

The best known cities of Kansai, other than Kyoto, are Osaka and Kobe. Himeji and Hiroshima will attract most visitors in Western Honshu. Osaka has always been the business rival of Tokyo – think London and Manchester. Kobe developed as one of the main treaty ports and today has a well preserved historic centre as… Continue reading Kansai & Western Honshu

Islands

Japan consists of the 4 main islands plus countless others – by Islands I mean a selection of the smaller islands that have captured my interest Shisa: the traditional guardian lions of Okinawa, found everywhere on the island and evidence of the strong Chinese influence on Okinawa culture: traditionally they come in pairs: a closed… Continue reading Islands

Hokkaido

Hokkaido is the northern most of the four main Japanese islands and is closer to Russia than southern Japan. Like Okinawa, the island was only incorporated into the new Japanese state following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when Japan felt the need to define its territories against foreign encroachments. For many years Hokkaido was treated… Continue reading Hokkaido

Kyoto & Nara

Kyoto has long been the cultural capital of Japan and home to 17 World Heritage sites as well as multiple famous tourist attractions such as Kinkaju-ji, the Golden Pavilion, Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, and Ryoan-ji, the best known zen garden. These sites are guaranteed to be crowded at all times of the year and there… Continue reading Kyoto & Nara

Kyushu

The most southerly of the 4 main islands and one with a particularly interesting history. Many of the leading figures in the economic and political transformation of Japan in the 19th century came from Kyushu. Dejima: the tiny man-made island in Nagasaki harbour where Dutch merchants were forced to live while trading in Japan –… Continue reading Kyushu

Tokyo

Tokyo is a world of its own and every visitor will find in the city what appeals to their own tastes and interests: these are merely a few areas and aspects of the city that I particularly enjoy .

Places

This is a selection of places, some obvious, some less obvious, that give me pleasure to visit. Click on the image to go the page. Tokyo Kyoto & Nara Kyushu Kansai & Western Honshu Hokkaido Islands

Shrines & Temples

Shinto is a uniquely Japanese form of religion, largely animist, which has been present in the country for centuries. Buddhism arrived from China during the Tang Dynasty, at the time when Nara was the ancient capital. The two religions coexisted quite happily for many centuries until, following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Shinto was priveleged… Continue reading Shrines & Temples

Culture: large & small

Detail: one of the great pleasures of ambling about Japanese cities is the opportunity to delight in the small details on display in windows both private and public – Japanese culture seems to be attuned to the art of the miniature, ranging from the bento box to ikebana. Nikko: one of the most visited sites… Continue reading Culture: large & small