Travel
Minka: The Allure of Japanese Farmhouses and Other Old Dwellings
The last few months have seen a spate of articles on free or low-cost homes in Japan. These homes […]
Culture
The Story of Kumamoto Mountains’ Lucky Cat
The Escape Stone, long said to be resilient in the face of calamities, has fallen — revealing the silhouette […]
Culture
‘Tatara Watetsu’: Japanese Town Revives Traditional Steel Production
The revival of the tatara method of traditional steel production has begun! A new era in traditional Japanese […]
Travel
Need a Break from Tokyo? Try the ‘Anti-Tokyo’ Oykot!
I often hear acquaintances — who are visiting Japan but haven’t made plans beyond staying in Tokyo […]
Travel
Ajirojima Islet: Where ‘Crumbs of Shooting Stars’ Sleep
The moon peeks out between the clouds, silhouetting the profile of the islet. Depicted in a long-exposure […]
Travel
Walking Tour, or How Else Can You Get Into the Heart of Japan?
It started in the fall of 2014. Fresh from an exhilarating teacher trip to Cambodia, my friend […]
Culture
Kofu City: Blueberries, Grapes, Wines…and A Glorious Past of Ninjas and Samurai
No matter where you go in Japan, the past and present are encountered constantly in ways unexpected […]
Blog
Discovering Japan, Learning the Value of Community
In March 2018, I joined an Upper School global travel trip to Japan with 16 high school students and […]
Blog
A Day with Nagano’s Iconic Snow Monkeys
Tokyo experienced its heaviest snowfall in four years in late January 2018. It brought travel chaos—halting train service in […]
Culture
Chugoku’s Izumo Shrine: Where the Fortunate Meetings Occur
The famous Kaguraden adjacent to Izumo Taisha As I learned on my most recent trip, the pleasure of […]