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Seimei Shrine is located in Kyoto’s Nishijin district. It’s tucked inside a quiet residential area and isn’t very large, but the whole place feels mysterious and full of spiritual energy. This shrine sits on the former home of Abe no…
What does it feel like to be surrounded by a bunch of adorable mini pigs? Mipig Cafe is the first café in Japan where you can interact closely with mini pigs.The café was created to help people understand that mini…
After visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha and walking through the impressive but very crowded Senbon Torii gates, I continued up the mountain trail and looped back down along a quieter path. As I moved farther away from the main route, the…
Koyasan is known as one of Japan’s three great sacred sites, and it carries an air of deep mystery. But despite its name, Koyasan isn’t actually a single mountain. It’s a spiritual plateau surrounded by a ring of peaks, all…
Koyasan is the spiritual center of Shingon Buddhism in Japan, and this sacred mountain has carried the teachings of esoteric Buddhism for more than a thousand years. Shingon Buddhism is a major school of Japanese Buddhism. As an esoteric tradition,…
If Koyasan is the spiritual heart of Japanese Buddhism, then Okunoin is the very soul of this sacred mountain. This is where Kobo Daishi (Kukai), the founder of Shingon Buddhism, entered eternal meditation. It’s also the largest cemetery in Japan,…
Kyoto’s cherry blossom season is full of surprises.As you stroll through the streets and small alleys, you’ll often stumble upon a row of cherry trees in full bloom, beautiful enough to stop you in your tracks.Sometimes it’s just an ordinary…
Sarasa Nishijin in Kyoto is a café unlike anything else. Before it became a trendy retro-style coffee shop, the building was actually a public bathhouse with almost 100 years of history. The moment you step inside, you’ll notice the high…
Nara is one of the birthplaces of Japanese history and culture. It’s a relaxing city where you can enjoy nature, temples, shrines, and a rich cultural atmosphere all at once. Most of the sights are close to each other, so…
The Wakakusa Yamayaki Festival is one of the most iconic winter events in Nara. Held every year on the fourth Saturday of January, it symbolizes welcoming the early spring. At night, the festival starts with about 600 fireworks, followed by…
