Chichibu: Steeped in tradition, but challenged by industry
The city of Chichibu, about 90 minutes by train from Ikebukuro, Tokyo, has a population of approximately 60,000. The region, which sits in the shadow of Mount Buko and alongside the Arakawa river is steeped in tradition with more than 300 festivals taking place ...
Yamabushi: Japan's ancient tradition of mountain ascetics opens to the public
Even the local residents look surprised at our attire. "Aren't you cold?" asks a windbreaker-clad hiker. I tighten my happi coat and tuck my leg coverings into my hakama (split-leg trousers) to keep them from flapping in the wind; my multi-layered garb is not only holy ...
Communing with nature in Kumano's land of ancient gods
An old tale from Kumano tells of a hunter who was out one day with his dogs when he spotted a large boar. Stretching his bow, he took aim and loosed an arrow deep into the body of the beast.
Some of the more interesting spots in Japan are the ones that are not really on the way to anywhere else at all. A sense of remoteness and being firmly off the beaten track lends them a particularly beguiling character. In the northeastern neck of ...
