A power spot, tucked away on the Shima Peninsula
Four or five years ago, standing alone in front of the clear, gently bubbling waters of Kiyomasa no Ido, a natural spring secreted in woodland at the far end of the Meiji Shrine's iris garden, I strained to detect any sound, but even the ...
Exquisite courses of fish and beef dishes await guests at Grill & Steak on the top floor of The Shinagawa Prince Hotel. One of nine unique restaurants at the elegant Dining & Bar Table 9 Tokyo, Grill & Steak treats guests to dishes of ...
Kick off a weekend in Saitama Prefecture in Kumagaya, an excellent starting point for a trip that will take you all across the region — from river rafting in the forested mountains of Chichibu to the historical alleys of Kawagoe.
There's no Christmas celebration quite like Italy's Natale (Italian Christmas), when family and friends gather to enjoy cherished traditional recipes and fine wines. This year, diners at The Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo's Italian restaurant Piacere can tuck into a festive weekend brunch until Dec. 24 in ...
Taking a perch with the hip birds of Uguisudanicho
One of two places in Tokyo named after valleys favored by the melodious uguisu (Japanese bush warbler), Uguisudanicho is a small neighborhood wedged between Daikanyama, Ebisu and Shibuya straddling the line between old-school businesses and gentrification.
Discovering Kyoto through the eyes of Genji
At the height of the splendor of the Heian Period (794-1185), lady-in-waiting to the Imperial Court, Murasaki Shikibu, wrote "The Tale of Genji," the story of imperial officer Hikaru Genji falling in and out of love with his various suitors. After centuries of war, ...
Tuna, tradition and opportunities for sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism is a hot topic, and in light of Japan's goals to grow the number of inbound tourists to 40 million by 2020 and all the way up to 60 million a decade later, it's one that deserves attention. Fortunately, there are concrete ...
A berry happy new year is just around the corner. Strawberry season is coming up fast, and Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo is celebrating with a springtime lunch buffet featuring 22 varieties of fresh strawberry delicacies. Playfully dubbed The Forest Strawberry Party, the buffet is taking place ...
James Turrell's 'House of Light': A modern art house in old snow country
Contemporary artist James Turrell is known for experiential artwork that manipulates his primary medium: light. For the "House of Light" in the Niigata Prefecture town of Tokamachi, Turrell took his inspiration from Junichiro Tanizaki's book "In Praise of Shadows."
The Michinoku Coastal Trail: Tohoku's recovery in action
The Michinoku Coastal Trail is a 2013 initiative by Japan's environment ministry to rejuvenate disaster-stricken Tohoku through ecotourism. At 700-kilometers long, it winds through protected forest, bucolic villages and along dramatic coastlines.
Pink pastries and jewelry boxes may not evoke the most classic of Christmas imagery, but who's to say things can't get a little creative sometimes? In the spirit of giving girly girls what they really want this season, Hilton Tokyo Odaiba Hotel happily presents ...
For more than a third of the year, Sapporo is buried beneath thick snow. During its warmer months, however, the city shrugs off its winter coat and bursts into life. If winter is uncomfortably cold, then summer is refreshingly cool; Sapporo doesn't suffer from the ...
