I visited Deko Yashiki for the first time ever yesterday. I don’t know why it has taken so long for me to go! Deko Yashiki is a collection of 4 houses (and families) who have been making local crafts for hundreds of years. You can visit their workshops, learn about folk legends and beliefs, andContinue reading Photoblog: Deko Yashiki Village Folk Crafts
A couple of weeks ago, I attended a samurai-themed monitor tour from Tokyo to Aizu-Wakamatsu City! (Monitor tours are trial tours that are run in order to gain feedback about a tour that is in the process of being planned or made.) This Samurai Train Tour is supposed to take you on a journey fromContinue reading Samurai Train Tour
Tsurugajo Castle is a popular spot to visit among tourists coming to Fukushima. Whether you’re discovering the samurai history of Aizu Wakamatsu City in the castle museum, relaxing while taking a sip of freshly-prepared matcha at Rinkaku Tea Ceremony Rooms, or snapping some photos from the observatory on the top floor of the castle, TsurugajoContinue reading Tsurugajo Castle & the Meiji Restoration
After visiting it a few weeks ago, I would say that Inawashiro’s World Glassware Hall (世界のガラス館) is pretty underrated as a spot for tourists to visit. The World Glassware Hall exhibits over 25,000 items of carefully designed and handcrafted glass from all around the world. A majority of the glassware on display is for sale,Continue reading Make Your Own Glass Souvenirs at the World Glassware Hall
I visited Asahi Brewery yesterday for the first time. I don’t know much about beer so I wasn’t sure how interesting or accessible I would find the tour, but it was actually really good. What’s more, it’s very easy for anyone to visit, regardless of how much Japanese you may or may not speak. Continue reading Asahi Brewery Guided Tour
As I wrote about in my blog last week, the fascinating Aizu Tajima Gion Festival 2018 was held over the weekend, finishing up yesterday. This festival has so much history and really gives visitors a chance to feel like they are participating in a local Japanese festival, as opposed to just observing it. When IContinue reading Oku-Aizu Museum & Sannojaya Tea Room
The Shoko Kanazawa Art Museum in Iwaki City is home to many fantastic pieces of calligraphy created by Shoko Kanazawa, an artist who was born with Down syndrome. The art museum shares its location with a kimono museum called Kimononoyakata Marusan (which contains the world’s largest kimono!) and a beautiful garden inspired by the traditionalContinue reading Shoko Kanazawa Calligraphy Art Museum in Iwaki
Iwaki City Coal & Fossil Museum is one of my favourite places to visit when I’m in Iwaki Yumoto Onsen, Fukushima. I don’t think enough people know about this awesome little museum, so I wanted to write a blog article about it. What Makes Horuru a Great Place to Visit? 1.) Dinosaurs. Although Fukui hands-downContinue reading Iwaki City Coal & Fossil Museum Guide
Formed over 80 million years by underground streams and covered with stalactites and stalagmites are the Abukuma-do Caves. This 3km limestone cave network was discovered in 1969, and subsequently 600m of it has been opened to the public. The Abukuma-do caves are said to hold the biggest variety and number of stalactites in Asia. EachContinue reading 10 Things to Do at the Abukuma-do Caves
The historical post-town Ouchi-juku lies on the old Nikko-Aizu Road, which was taken by travellers passing between Nikko and Aizu Wakamatsu from the Edo period. Ouchi-juku was a key location where travellers could stop and rest for the night. Out of the many notable figures who have stayed in Ouchi-juku over the hundreds of years,Continue reading 19th Century British Explorer Isabella Bird’s time in Ouchi-juku
