Browsed by
Category: Japan

Maiko Makeover – Dress up like a Maiko in Kyoto

Maiko Makeover – Dress up like a Maiko in Kyoto

Can you think of anything more quintessentially Japanese than meeting a maiko or geisha in Kyoto? Well, what if I told you that many of the maiko you see when you wander around Japan’s ancient capital are not actually professional artists, but tourists who have had a maiko makeover for the day. Japan is a great place for dressing up (they call it cosplay) and it’s totally possible for non-Japanese folks to get involved in the fun! Most of the…

Read More Read More

Takatori hike – Takatori Castle ruins and Tsubosaka Temple

Takatori hike – Takatori Castle ruins and Tsubosaka Temple

I’d like to introduce you to a truly fantastic hike through a gorgeous Japanese town, up to a ruined castle, past ancient carvings aaaand then a pretty amazing Indian-style temple. Takatori is a beautiful town in the countryside, about an hour south of Nara city. The town was first populated by a group of people that moved north from Tosa (in Shikoku). They built Japan’s highest mountaintop castle in 1332, and it was only abandoned two and a half centuries later….

Read More Read More

Hasedera Temple – Nara’s prettiest temple?

Hasedera Temple – Nara’s prettiest temple?

Hasedera Temple (長谷寺) has to be one of Nara’s prettiest temples, and I have not even visited it at the prettiest time of year! This temple is another one of the places that is super famous to Japanese people, BUT very few foreign tourists bother to trek South of Nara city, so most people miss out on this gem! Now, there isn’t much of a hike to get to this temple. It is only 15 minutes walk from Hasedera station….

Read More Read More

Shigisan & Chogosonshi-ji – Paper Tiger Temple

Shigisan & Chogosonshi-ji – Paper Tiger Temple

Do you like visiting slightly less obvious things when you explore an area? If so, can you imagine visiting Japan’s largest papier-mâché tiger? What if I told you it was also at one of Japan’s oldest temples, Chogosonshi-ji, perched on top of a mountain, but still within easy reach from Osaka or Nara? Even if you didn’t know it was possible to make such a large tiger from papier-mâché, you’ll still have fun visiting Shigisan so add this onto your list of…

Read More Read More