Blossoming is a weather driven event, so there are long term forecasts in Japan as to the first day of cherry blossoms in the various regions of Japan.  Here is a map provided by Otenki.jp.  The dates are month / day.  You can follow the wave of...

In the grounds of the Zen Buddhist Temple of the heavenly dragon (Tenryuji) in Arashiyama I had a very special dining experience. Their vegetarian restaurant Shigetsu had the most artistically presented and tasty collection of dishes for their set...

A wall of Sake Barrels A great wall of colourful Saké Barrels can be seen along the path to Meiji Jingu, the main Shinto Shrine in Tokyo.  The barrels are wrapped in straw and have wonderful unique graphics.  However, as an article in the...

Nara, a former capital city of Japan is home to free-ranging deer, and one of Japan’s largest statues of the Buddha.  The Buddha’s statue is housed in the world’s largest wooden building.  Yet this building, the temple Todaiji, is a reconstruction...

In Tokyo, the place to go and take your fill of electronics, gadgets, hobbies, games and cosplay is a district called Akihabara (often abbreviated as Akiba).  Located around a major multi-storey local rail crossroads station, it is easy to access...