TANGO KINGDOM: Tango Province (丹後国 Tango no Kuni) was an old province in the area that is today northern Kyoto Prefecture facing the Sea of Japan.[1] Together with Tanba Province, Tango was sometimes called Tanshū (丹州). Tango bordered on Tajima, Tanba, and Wakasa provinces. At various times both Maizuru and Miyazu were the capital and […]
A nice local shrine and two Buddhist Temples, out in a couple of small, country towns.
I only have a couple of days before departing Japan, so I drove around for a little while in the back-country roads. The weather was great, especially on the coastline. Up towards the top of the mountain was a small town, and a small shrine. I was driving through the mountains to get to a […]
This is a very nice park in a small country town. In the spring and summer time, there are numerous birds chirping and beautiful flowers blooming all over. This was a literal nice wall in the park, after having breakfast and nowhere to go. A nice walk here is much enjoyed, as well as sitting […]
Sala is a Thai restaurant on the beach. The spring rolls and icea tea was good, but the chicken was fried in the same oil as seafood; which I know because I am allergic to shrimp. The scenery was nice. Beautiful beach and nice breeze.
The hike to the summit of 233m Mt. Inari-san and the pilgrimage circle around the shrines near the top is one of the most interesting short walks around Kyoto. It’s also the best way to see all of Fushima-Inari Taisha Shrine. Hike Data Time: about 3 hours Distance: about 5km Difficulty: moderate If you’re looking […]
Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) is the head shrineof the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari which is 233 metres (764 ft) above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) […]
Jojakko-ji Temple is a quaint temple on the main Arashiyama tourist route that offers a chance to escape the crowds that plague the rest of the area. Usually deserted, except in the fall foliage season, Jojakko-ji Temple is a fine spot to sit and gather your thoughts while exploring Arashiyama. It’s got a fine little […]
Tenryū-ji (天龍寺), formally known as Tenryū Shiseizen-ji (天龍資聖禅寺), is the head temple of the Tenryū-ji branch of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, located in Susukinobaba-chō, Ukyō Ward, Kyoto, Japan. The temple was founded by Ashikaga Takaujiin 1339, primarily to venerate Gautama Buddha, and its first chief priest was Musō Soseki. Construction was completed in […]
Arashiyama (嵐山 Storm Mountain) is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district. Arashiyama is a nationally designated Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty. Bamboo Forest, or Arashiyama Bamboo Grove or Sagano Bamboo Forest, is a […]
This is a tiny cafe/restaurant in the small town of Kyotango, in Kyoto Prefecture, on the northern coast of Japan, on the Sea of Japan. An elderly couple attend to this restaurant and they take their time to make the food here. The food may take longer than most places, but it is delicious and […]
This is a nice local shrine with the owl theme. The is a beautiful pond and minu zen garden here as well. Very friendly staff that provided me with a temple signature in my Goshuin book.
This was a nice shrine with owl ornaments all over. My spirit animal is the owl so I particularly liked this temple.
A modern park and cemetery located on a hill about 1 km northeast of Himeji Castle. The symbolic building, a 38 meter high stupa, was a gift from India’s Prime Minister Nehru with a desire for eternal peace and happiness for humans. He consecrates the ashes of Buddha and the statue of Shakasanzon and the […]
Koko-en Garden (好古園 Kōko-en) (sometimes called Himeji Kōko-en) is a Japanese garden located next to Himeji Castle in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.[1] It was constructed in 1992 at the site of the lord’s west residence, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Himeji municipality. The garden is about 3.5 hectares and has nine […]
Himeji Castle (姫路城 Himeji-jō) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in the city of Himeji which is located in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 rooms with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period.[7] The castle […]
Tottori Castle (鳥取城 Tottori-jō) was the central castle of the Tottori han (fief) in feudal Japan. It was a yamashiro, or “mountain castle”, built into the mountain itself, using natural obstacles and defenses to a greater extent than man-made walls. Little remains of the castle aside from parts of the stone wall and one gate, […]
This museum, located near central Tottori City, has a collection of almost 30,000 items that were amassed over a period of 60 years by local doctor Hajime Watanabe. One of the most impressive parts of the collection is the 250 sets of Japanese armor, with at least 100 sets on display at any time. The […]
