Not far from Tokyo's Narita Airport, Chiba's east coast is a beautiful area of beaches, forests and unique accommodations.

Steeped in Tradition: The Tea Culture of Shigaraki Shigaraki, renowned for its pottery, is also the home of one of Japan's oldest tea-growing traditions. Meet two dedicated tea producers who honor ...

Since the Kumano Kodo received UNESCO designation as part of “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range” in 2004, the Nakahechi route has received the lion’s share of attention from ...

Human activity in Japan is estimated to trace back to around 30,000 B.C. While little is known of Japan’s earliest inhabitants, thanks to the introduction of Chinese writing in the fifth century, we ...

The Edo Period (also called the Tokugawa Era) spans from 1603 to 1868 and saw the emergence of popular figures that all lovers of Japanese culture know well: samurai, geisha, kabuki actors, etc. One ...

Established in 1984, Kagoshima Organic Farmer’s Association, Ltd. is one of the largest organizations of organic farmers in Japan, comprising more than 160 organic farmers who have come together to ...

Mt. Koya (more commonly called Koyasan) was settled in 816 by the monk Kukai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism and posthumously known as Kobo Daishi. The more than 100 temples located here have made it ...

Most of Senso-ji was destroyed during the firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945, including the main temple building and five-story pagoda. So while this is technically Tokyo's oldest temple, history ...

Higashi are a type of dry, often pressed sweets which contain very little moisture and lasts a bit longer then other wagashi. Since hi means dry and nama can mean wet, they are often considered the ...

Raijin is a kami of lightning, thunder and storms, and Fujin is the kami of wind. They are often depicted together, with Raijin on the left—typically carrying a hammer, surrounded by drums—and Fujin ...

As I walked toward the center of the cascading waterfalls, severe coldness gripped my feet, and the rhythmic chants of a Shinto priest disappeared under the sounds of torrents pounding the rocky ...

Hakata Station, Fukuoka's vibrant central hub, comes alive at 10am as the many interconnected shopping complexes open their doors. Follow station signs for KITTE Hakata, which also houses the Hakata ...