The Great Buddha in Kamakura is one of the largest Buddha statues in Japan. It’s just one of several great attractions that make this coastal city, just an hour from Tokyo, the perfect day trip. The Great Buddha statue was at the top of my…
Seeing the Japanese snow monkeys in Nagano is a fabulous experience, especially if you can time your visit for a snowy winters day when you will see their natural area at its best. It’s reasonably easy to do this as an independent day trip from…
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is a ‘must see’ destination on a trip to Kamakura. The site is historically and architecturally impressive in addition to its cultural value. The Shrine was founded in 1180 for Yoritomo Minamoto, the first Shogun of the Kamakura period immediately after…
In Kyoto from March 15-17 the Blue Dragon festival will be celebrated at the Kiyomizu-dera temple. The day we went had very heavy rain and strong winds as you can tell from the photographs, it is dark at 2pm in the afternoon! The procession through…
When we travel to Japan we base out of 2-3 cities to minimize time changing accommodation and take day trips using the amazing rail system to maximize what we get to see. Trains between cities as opposed to commuter trains are so comfortable it is…
