Karuizawa Shaw Memorial Chapel
Tomoko KamishimaOwning a summer cottage in Karuizawa is now a status symbol in Japanese. But the first cottage was built by a conservative foreign..
Follow this series on following the influential footsteps of more than 20 past foreign residents of Japan, who arrived after it opened up its doors to the rest of the world in 1854. People came from across the world to Japan to do business, spread the word of God, and help Japan upgrade to a modern infrastructure.
Owning a summer cottage in Karuizawa is now a status symbol in Japanese. But the first cottage was built by a conservative foreign..
Among the hundreds of statues in Horyu-ji Temple, the most mysterious statue there might be Guze (Kuse) Kannon.
Katsura Imperial Villa, established by Imperial Prince Toshihito (1579-1629) and Toshitada (1619-1662), has many elaborate embellishments..
Kyoto Honno-ji Temple & Oda Nobunaga: An African samurai had a unique opportunity to serve Oda Nobunaga for a year and a half.
The Yokohama Archives of History stands on the place where the Convention of Kanagawa was concluded
Before Japan opened her doors to the rest of the world, the Kanazawa district in Yokohama commanded a stunning view of the wat..
The original owner of Yamate No. 111 was John Edward Laffin (a half Japanese, half American, who managed a shipping company an..
The items exhibited in Yamate Museum of Tennis are related to the history of tennis in Japan
In Nagasaki, there is a stylish Western house high up on a cliff in Minami Yamate, commanding a panoramic view of Nagasaki Port...
The Ehrismann Residence, designed by A. Raymond, is a well maintained Western house in Yokohama, Yamate
Old Shimbashi Station represents a long-lasting bond between Britain and Japan. Restored building and “0 Mile” marker are symb..
Asakusa is famous for its annual year-end Hagoita (Battledore) Fair held December 17-19. It started in the late 16th century on..
If you journey to Hakone and Ashino-yu’s lovely Matsuzaka-ya inn, remember the connection between Matsuzaka-ya, Copeland, and ..
The Italia Ken, a long-established hotel located in Niigata city’s famous old district, Furumachi, still keeps its unique flav..
Nikko's Nishi-rokuban Park (西六番園地) is the place where the clubhouse of the Tokyo Angling and Country Club (TACC) used..
Taking a Water Bus and experiencing Tokyo from the river is a great way to grasp how water-centric this city really is.
Nikko Kanaya Hotel commands the best location for access to Nikko’s World Heritage Site. You can enjoy every bit of Nikko’s ch..
Chuzen-ji Lake has a lot of beautiful faces, depending on the time of the day or season, the direction you are looking in, or how..
The former Italian Embassy Villa in Nikko is now open to the public as a park. After Tochigi prefecture bought it quite recently,..
Basil Hall Chamberlain spent most of his spare time in Hakone. In his memory, there is a pleasant nature trail named after him in..
British architect Josiah Conder, the father of modern Japanese architecture, was invited to Japan in 1877. The former Iwasaki ..
Tozen-ji Temple has kept its refined appearance, in spite of two horrible incidents that occurred 150 years ago.
The Iwasaki Museumin Yokohama’s Yamate district stands on land that used to be known as the Gaiety Theater in 1866.
Can you believe that you can take a walk down the exact same road and see the exact same view that people did 400 year ago?
Kamon-yama Park (originally known as Railway Hill) is a famous viewing spot for cherry blossoms, only a 10-minute walk from JR Sakuragi-cho..
Spring Valley is a beer restaurant inside Kirin Beer Village near Namamugi, a station on the Keihin-Kyuko Line, just 10 minutes..
There is a mysterious ruin at Negishi Forest Park. Three big towers stand high on a hill. They are connected to one another at the..
If you’d like to enjoy some greenery and big trees during your stay in Yokohama, I know just the place for you: Yamate Koen Pa..
One of the preserved buildings, the Yamate History Archives (Shiryo-kan 山手資料館 ) now acts as an archive of the old Yamate ..
The Café at the Hotel New Grand faithfully sticks to Weil’s original seafood doria recipe. Why don’t you try this legendary di..
Since Perry came on shore at Kurihama in 1853, the history of Japan suddenly and forever changed. Perry Park is the starting point..
The memorial stone of William Adams, the British shipmate, ship pilot, and trader that the main character in Shogun was modeled..
There is a beautiful park near JR Yokosuka Station called Verny Park. It is named after a Frenchman who came to Japan in 1865.
If you happen to come across the remains of this interesting waterworks in Motomachi, you will be so curious that you won’t be..
Located at the top of Enoshima Island is the Samuel Cocking Gardens. The gardens themselves are not that interesting, but the story..
Berrick Hall in Yokohama's Yamate area is a beautiful old-style Spanish and art deco house.