The Bamboo Temple This Kamakura temple is a must-see for its towering bamboo forest, its exquisite garden-like grounds, and its teahouse, where you can enjoy a delicious bowl of mattcha while contemplating the gently-swaying bamboo. Lovely in every season, it’s a particularly welcome destination in the summer months when the bamboo dials the temperature downContinueContinue reading “Hōkoku-ji Temple”
Category Archives: October
The Tokyo Toilets
Have your own perfect day exploring the seventeen amazing toilets designed by famous architects that were featured in the Wim Wenders film “Perfect Days.” If you want to see the transparent ones turn opaque when you flip the lock on the door, go between April and October, when the weather is warm enough for theContinueContinue reading “The Tokyo Toilets”
Ueno Area
Ueno is the heart of “Old Tokyo,” where a vast park hosting venerable museums and thousands of sacred lotus exists side by side with busy artisans and merchants doing what they’ve been doing best for centuries Why do guidebooks send people to Ueno for all the wrong reasons? For example, if you go during cherry blossomContinueContinue reading “Ueno Area”
Ikebukuro Area
Let’s wander through a faux Meiji Era town eating savory Japanese dumplings at Gyoza Stadium, check out the spooky streets and weird ice cream, then roam around the LABI electronics superstore to see all the strange toys and appliances! It’s an especially good place to spend a few hours if it’s near Halloween or hot or rainy outside.ContinueContinue reading “Ikebukuro Area”
Flower extravaganzas of Japan: Way beyond cherry blossoms!
At the Ashikaga Flower Park Cherries, schmerries, everyone crowds in to see the fluffy pink things, but they aren’t the only flower extravaganza to see in Japan! Not only will your friends be green with envy when you show them photos of these beauties, you’ll skip the jostling crowds and high-season prices. • Plum blossomsContinueContinue reading “Flower extravaganzas of Japan: Way beyond cherry blossoms!”
Koshikawa Koraku-en Garden
Koshikawa Koraku-en garden is absolutely beautiful in every season. It’s most famous for its iris garden in late May to early June, but it’s also grand in February for the plum blossoms, late March to mid-April for the cherries, late April to early May for the wisteria, and for its autumn leaves in November. ThisContinueContinue reading “Koshikawa Koraku-en Garden”
Showa Kinen Park
The journey out to Tachikawa Station to see Showa Kinen Park is well worth it, especially if you’ve got kids. There are many huge (and unique!) playgrounds, kilometers of bike paths, boat rentals, swimming pools, a Japanese garden with a bonsai collection, and the biggest flower displays in Tokyo. Especially worth seeing are the cherryContinueContinue reading “Showa Kinen Park”
Zojō-ji Temple
This temple is the subject of many woodblock prints and the burial place of seven shōguns. It’s a lovely place to see hundreds of Jizo figures with their colorful pinwheels and take a classic “ancient & modern” photo with Tokyo Tower, especially excellent at the major Buddhist holidays like New Year’s in January, Setsubun inContinueContinue reading “Zojō-ji Temple”
Ikegami Honmon-ji Temple
Ikegami Honmon-ji is the major Nichren sect temple in Tokyo, and a great place to see all the big Buddhist festivals. It’s especially worth a visit in late February to mid-March, when its extensive plum garden is in bloom, and for the Oeshiki Ikegami Festival of 10,000 Lanterns in mid-October. This magnificent temple sacred toContinueContinue reading “Ikegami Honmon-ji Temple”
Yasukuni Shrine
The shrine with a sumo ring! The most controversial shrine in Tokyo, the Yasukuni Shrine hosts festivals with all the trimmings in January, April, July and October. It’s also got a fascinating WWII museum, a lovely garden and an outdoor sumo amphitheater. This is a gorgeous, lively, maddeningly nationalistic, must-see Imperial shrine. Like the MeijiContinueContinue reading “Yasukuni Shrine”
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 