Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for japan
Japan’s Ghost Island
By Linda Tancs
Less than 10 miles from the city of Nagasaki, Japan, Hashima is one of 505 uninhabited islands in Nagasaki Prefecture. It wasn’t always that way. Once home to more than 5,000 inhabitants during Japan’s coal mining heyday, the island’s abandoned concrete apartments are emblematic of a forgotten age and impart an eerie feel to the place. Also known as Battleship Island owing to its silhouette, it opened to tourism in 2009. The boat ride takes 30 minutes, and walks are limited to defined paths due to the site’s damage and decay.
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Town of Storehouses
By Linda Tancs
Kurashiki, Japan is an old market town near the Golden Route linking Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima. Dating to the Edo Period, the picture-perfect city is prized for its preserved canal district, dotted with willow trees and old storehouses converted into museums, boutiques and cafes. Don’t miss the Ohara Museum of Art (Japan’s oldest museum for Western art) and the displays of Bizen-yaki pottery, an ancient pottery style perfected over 1000 years ago.
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Fujisan’s Latest Milestone
By Linda Tancs
Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain (at 12, 388 feet), has been mesmerizing locals and wanderers alike since ancient times. So it might be surprising that this iconic ambassador only recently became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since June, Fujisan joins 16 other sites around Japan as a place of distinction. Other gems include Himeji-jō Castle, historic monuments of ancient Kyoto, Hiroshima Peace Memorial and the Ogasawara Islands.
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Summer Lotus at Shimabara
By Linda Tancs
Japan’s Shimabara Castle is located in Shimabara, Nagasaki prefecture. The five-storied castle keep was originally constructed in the 17th century. Although it survived the Shimabara Rebellion (arising from a ban on Christianity) and feudal rule, its keep and outer towers were subsequently demolished in the 1800s and the grounds used for municipal purposes instead. Today’s bright white castle was reconstructed in the 1960s, a faithful reproduction that houses a museum featuring exhibits concerning the rebellion and feudal reign. Summer visitors are treated to a magnificent carpet of lotus flowers at the castle’s original base.
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Tokyo’s Skytree
By Linda Tancs
The world record books show no shortage of tallest skywalks. Add another to the list. Tokyo’s Skytree is the world’s tallest freestanding broadcasting tower, a white neo-futuristic space needle piercing 634 meters into the sky. Its Tembo Deck at 350 meters is covered in huge five-meter-high glass for a 360-degree view up to 70 kilometers away. From there, a ride in a glass tube to the Tembo Galleria at 450 meters completes the skywalking experience.
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Feeling Blue Around the World
By Linda Tancs
Feeling blue? In some parts of the world, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. That is to say, if you live in a blue zone–areas of the world where the population regularly lives to the ripe old age of 100 or more. Places like Loma Linda, California, Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, Sardinia, Italy and Okinawa, Japan. Don’t pack your bags just yet, though. Just being there won’t increase your chances for longevity. You gotta walk the walk, as they say. That means lots of whole grains, veggies, beans and fruits. Maybe Mama was right after all.
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A Golden Week in Japan
By Linda Tancs
May 1 is typically a public holiday in many parts of Europe, a time to celebrate the advent of spring and enjoy a bit of conviviality in the process. In Japan, however, they needn’t settle for a day of celebration. Golden Week, beginning on 29 April, marks the start of over a week of spirited activity and travel. In fact, many Japanese travel widely during the holiday as many businesses shut down. The festivities begin in April with Showa Day, marking the birthday of the emperor Showa. May 3 marks Constitution Day, so called for the new Constitution put into effect on that day in 1947. Nature is revered on May 4 during Greenery Day. The festival season concludes on May 5 with Children’s Day, a time when carp streamers decorate the thresholds of many homes to symbolize children’s success in life. If you want to be a part of the action, there’s plenty to see, like the 1300th anniversary celebration at Nara. This is prime time for cherry blossoms, too. Visit Hirosaki Park Cherry Blossom Festival. Maybe you’ll find a hanami (viewing party) to get happy with. Hana yori dango, as they say.
<DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Japan Celebrates 1300th Anniversary
By Linda Tancs
Lest you forget that Japan had a capital city long before Tokyo, Nara celebrates its status as the birthplace of Japan with a series of exhibits and events throughout Nara Prefecture this year. The anniversary celebration will include exhibitions of hidden treasures and rarely-viewed Buddhist statues. The main venue, Heijo Palace, will commemorate the restoration of the audience hall where state ceremonies were held before the emperor on 23 April. Later in the summer the palace grounds will be awash in light as night falls with a tremendous display of candles and LED technology. The party continues until 7 November.
DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION
The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Coming of Age in Japan
By Linda Tancs
On the second Monday of January each year, a public holiday known as Coming of Age Day (Seijin no hi) represents the marking of adulthood for Japanese twenty-year-olds. In a nation deeply bound by tradition, the day’s festivities are ever more significant in this age of decreasing population, as reflected by the statistics of the Population Census Division. Between the years 1899 and 2004, live births (per 1000 of population) have sunk from a high of 33 to a low of 8.8. For this year’s ceremonies, that translates to up to 680,000 men and 650,000 women taking part in rituals ranging from a visit to the local shrine to local government events and get-togethers with family and friends. For young ladies, in particular, it is a time to dress in kimono, no doubt assisted in the intracacies thereof by family or shop attendants. In modern society where its use is confined to special occasions like this, the art of kimono may get lost among a shrinking populace. Let’s hope that’s not the case.
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Happy Culture Day
By Linda Tancs
Bunka no hi, Culture Day in Japan, is celebrated every November 3rd in memory of Emperor Meiji. On this day the current emperor honors those who’ve made significant contributions to Japanese culture and society in a ceremony at the palace in Tokyo. It’s also supposed to be the best day over a 100 year period with fine weather. Well, today’s weather was clear with a high temperature of 60 degrees fahrenheit. Sounds about right.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it on sites such as StumbleUpon, vote for it, or bookmark it. Thanks for your support! Travelrific® was featured as Blog of the Day on NJ.com!
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