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
Among the winding historical streets of Aizu Wakamatsu City lies Miura Woodturning Workshop (三浦木工所). Miura Woodturning Workshop is run by Keiichi Miura, a fourth generation artisan who has been practicing woodturning for over 40 years. The Miura family is one of the few remaining families who shape wood to be used in producing Aizu Lacquerware.Continue reading Miura’s Enchanting Workshop & Aizu Lacquerware
As newly built houses get smaller and the variety of cheap flooring options increases, quintessentially Japanese tatami flooring is becoming less and less of a presence in Japanese homes. Tatami has held an integral place in the hearts of Japanese people for centuries, and many people are saddened by the way the youth of JapanContinue reading Hand-made Tatami Experience in Sukagawa City
Kitakata City is famous across Japan for 2 things – ramen and warehouses! Kitakata City’s warehouses have been used for hundreds of years for the production of ingredients integral to Japanese cooking, such as miso, mirin and soy sauce, among many more. The incredibly clear water of Mt Iide is thought to makeContinue reading Kitakata’s Mitsuya District & Historic Red Brick Kiln
Kurosawa Kirizai – a shop in Kitakata City where geta (traditional Japanese shoes) are made and sold – opened in 1912. For over 100 years ago, the Kurosawa family have prided themselves on their careful use of only the highest quality paulownia wood – grown locally of course - for the construction of their geta.Continue reading Vintage Shoe Shop in Kitakata’s Picturesque Streets
Last weekend I visited the Soma Nomaoi Festival. This 3-day festival takes place during the last weekend of July every year, and is centered around 3 main shrines in Minami Soma and Soma. It is thought that the festival has its roots in a local tradition from the 10th century, when horses were chased andContinue reading Watching Exhilarating Samurais on Horseback - Soma Nomaoi
Tomorrow I get to go to one of the 3 most spectacular Gion Festivals in Japan. (The other 2 take place in Kyoto, and Fukuoka, if you were wondering!) Aizu-Tajima Gion Festival is an annual shinto celebration which takes place on July 22nd, 23rd and 24th. For 800 years, gion festivals have been an importantContinue reading Aizu-Tajima Gion Festival - Planning My Trip
Painting a lucky red cow known as an ‘akabeko’ in Aizu Wakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture.Continue reading Painting the Legendary Akabeko
Whenever I flick through a pamphlet filled with photographs of Fukushima, there is a certain photo that makes everyone go “oooooooooooh”: the photo of Ouchi-juku. It just so happened to begin snowing for the first time this winter on the day that I visited Ouchi-juku, which gave the whole day an exciting atmosphere. Upon arriving,Continue reading Snow in Magical Ouchi-juku
Dotted around Nanokamachi-dori, Aizu-Wakamatsu stand a number of extremely old buildings. Coming to this area of the city feels like stepping back in time, especially at quieter times of day. Many of the warehouses and factories that stand on Nanokamachi-dori are still used to this day, and some allow visitors in for a tour. DuringContinue reading Stumbling upon Traditional Japan in Nanokamachi-dori
