Best Travel Destinations - Japan
The vision of thousands of crimson torii gates stretching up the mountainside is one of the most iconic images of Kyoto, and of Japan. The Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto is one of the most famous shrines in the city, and one of the oldest Inari shrines in Japan, founded in 711. Popularized throughout the world in the film adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha, walking through the tunnel of red lacquered torii (a distinctive shape for Shinto gates) is one of the most memorable experiences you can have in Kyoto. The Fushimi Inari Shrine stands out among the temples of Kyoto as a unique and whimsical tribute to the Shinto god of rice and industry, Inari, whose representatives are fox spirits (“kitsune”). When first ...
If you're looking to experience traditional Hong Kong in one of its most unique and fascinating festivals, look no further than the weeklong Cheung Chau Bun Festival. This whimsical holiday, characterized by folkloric costumes, traditional handicrafts, crowded festive streets, and crowned by the race to the top of the bun towers, is one of the liveliest events in Hong Kong every year. Taking place in late April or early May (it's a lunar festival, celebrated in the fourth moon of the year), the Cheung Chau Bun Festival makes the little island of Cheung Chau (the smallest of Hong Kong's outlying islands) the focus of the entire metropolis. Take the half-hour ferry ride to Cheung Chau during the Bun Festival, and you will be greeted by ...
Whenever I travel, especially to the East, I get this overpowering urge to eat bizarre delicacies. Something about the local fare, the tentacles squirming in buckets at neighborhood markets, strange new meats, and steam rising off grills charring unrecognizable animal parts gets my blood pumping - it almost makes me feel that, despite the McDonalds and KFCs at any given corner, I'm actually traveling to places that are authentically different from where I grew up. During my last break, I became obsessed with finding and feasting on fugu, or pufferfish. Fugu, literally "river pig", is a fish prized for its unique look, its delicate flesh, and its ability to puff up to scare predators. It's also extremely poisonous to humans. Every year, hundreds of people, ...
The approach to Nara Park in the old capital city of Nara, Japan, is dominated by an imposing view of a wooden pagoda and beautiful tall trees. However, it is arguably the deer that make Japan's Nara Park as famous as it is. In fact, in many cases, Nara Park is known as “Deer Park” for the hundreds of so-called “wild” sika deer that roam the grounds. Although they are not raised by humans, the 1,200 sika deer within Nara Deer Park have grown so accustomed to tourists feeding them that they will boldly venture up to visitors, expecting pieces of rice crackers, sold at carts throughout Park for this purpose. Nature-lovers from Western countries will undoubtedly deplore this interference with the natural habits of ...
Somewhere among the scattered islands near Hiroshima, Japan, lies an island with a sacred treasure. Also known as Miyajima Island (Shrine Island), the island of Itsukushima takes pride in the wonderful combination of mountains and seashore, and is famous for the tranquility of its landscape. Itsukushima also cradles one of the most important shrines in Japanese history and religion: the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine. From time immemorial, the ancient Japanese believed Itsukushima to be a holy place, and they dedicated it to the three daughters of the Gods and Goddesses of the sun and the sea, who the Japanese believe created Japan. It is said that from ancient times to the 17th century, Itsukushima had to be kept pure, and for this reason, commoners were refused ...
When you travel to the Tohoku region of Japan in the summer season, you can witness several cultural festivals that display the beauty and heritage of Japan. One of four large festivals, the Akita Kanto Festival in Tohoku, Akita City, is celebrated yearly to pray for a good harvest and for divine protection from illnesses and evil spirits. It started in the 19th century when men marched through the streets, each of them balancing a kanto (bamboo pole) to display their strengths. At present, the Akita Kanto Festival is considered a “national important intangible folk cultural heritage” where hundreds fly to Japan annually to witness local performers balance bamboo poles topped with hanging lanterns that resemble stalks of rice. When you travel to Japan to ...
When you hear the word “Sapporo” you might think of a delicious glass of beer. However, for many people in Sapporo, Japan, that word often precedes “Snow Festival”. The Sapporo Snow Festival is a yearly event taking place for a week in February. The main attractions at the Sapporo Snow Festival is the snow and ice sculptures which turn parts of of the city into a veritable winter wonderland. Glistening ice and pristine white snow are used to create beautiful and elaborate sculptures that amaze tourists and locals alike. The Sapporo Snow Festival is huge now, but came from very humble beginnings. In the year 1950, a group of high school students built six snow sculptures in Odori Park: a local, central park. The festival ...
Make sure bad luck isn't lingering in your future by celebrating the Japanese Setsubun Festival. Held on the first day of the spring season, it was once thought to be a New Year's Eve of sorts which no one wanted to start off on the wrong foot. Also called the "Mame maki", locals began to throw beans to drive away evil spirits or "Oni" thought to abound during a change in season. Despite being one of the lesser-known Japanese Festivals, people still celebrate it at shrines and at home as part of centuries of tradition. Every year during the Setsubun Festival, the head of the family "toshiotoko" dresses up like an evil spirit and positions himself on the front door of a house. Thereafter, the ...
When people talk about traveling to Japan, stories are often recalled of scarlet sunrises over Mount Fuji or Cherry Blossom filled picnics. A diverse country, Japan combines old and new, and once a year on the streets in Kawasaki, it even goes a little crazy during the Kanamara Matsuri Festival! The Kanamara Matsuri Festival, also known as the Pink Penis Parade or Festival of the Steel Phallus, is a yearly fertility festival held at the Kanamara Shrine in Kawasaki, Japan. The festival originated during the Edo period (1603 - 1867) when prostitutes used to pray for protection from STD's at the local penis-venerating shrine. Since its inception, Kanamara Matsuri has since evolved to promote fertility, harmonious marriages and even draw attention and fundraise ...
Japan is famous for preserving old and elaborate traditions, and passing them down to younger generations to experience and enjoy. Some traditions may appear completely nonsensical like the phalluses paraded around at Kanamara Matsuri, but most can be traced back to deep and committed beliefs, like the burning torches touted at the Oto Matsuri Festival. Every year in Shingu City in the Wakasa Prefecture, the Oto Matsuri Festival is celebrated at dusk. Signifying the close of winter, the celebration begins with a purifying meal of white coloured foods like tofu, fish, miso soup and rice. This theme continues through to the outfits of local "Noboriko", and tops off the visual ambiance of the Oto Matsuri Festival. Prior to the ceremony, Noboriko prepare by bathing ...
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