Articles
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: Remembering Atomic Devastation and Choosing Peace
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is one of the world's most important historical organisations, recording the atomic bombing of August 6, 1945—one of the twentieth…
Izu Peninsula: Where Three Plates Collide to Create Hot Spring Paradise
The Izu Peninsula (伊豆半島), which extends southeastward from Tokyo into Sagami Bay and Suruga Bay, is a geological accident that has created one of Japan's…
Mount Fuji: Japan's Sacred Peak Where Spirituality Meets Geology
Mount Fuji (富士山, Fuji-san) is more than just Japan's highest mountain, standing at 3,776.24 meters (12,389 ft). This flawlessly symmetrical stratovolcano represents Japanese…
Japanese Alps: Three Mountain Ranges Where Tradition Meets Alpine Adventure
The Japanese Alps (Nihon Arupusu) are divided into three mountain ranges: the Northern, Central, and Southern Alps, which run over central Honshu and reach elevations…
Karoshi: Japan's Culture of Overwork and the Road to Reform
Karoshi (過労死), meaning "death from overwork," is a uniquely Japanese term describing a preventable catastrophe that kills thousands of people each year. The phenomena…
Fushimi Inari Shrine: 10,000 Torii Gates Creating a Sacred Tunnel
Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) is one of Japan's most prominent spiritual locations and possibly the most photographed shrine, known for its mesmerising tunnels of vermillion…
Cherry Blossoms: Japan's National Symbol and Ancient Spiritual Tradition
Hanami (花見, meaning "flower viewing"), the springtime festival of cherry blossoms (sakura), is more than just an aesthetic appreciation of nature's beauty. This centuries-old custom…
Sensō-ji Temple: Tokyo's Oldest Sacred Site and Spiritual Gateway
Sensō-ji (浅草寺, officially Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji, also known as Asakusa Kannon) is Tokyo's oldest temple and one of Japan's most spiritually significant Buddhist temples…
Mount Fuji: A Stratovolcano Built in Overlapping Phases
Mount Fuji is a stratovolcano, or a composite volcano formed by the accumulation of lava flows, ash, and pyroclastic materials deposited over 2.6 million years of eruptions…
Shibuya Crossing: Where Tokyo's Ordered Chaos Reaches Perfection
Shibuya Crossing, also known as Shibuya Scramble Crossing (渋谷スクランブル交差点), is the world's busiest pedestrian crossing. This title is achieved via…
Japanese Onsen: Ritual Bathing as Cultural Cornerstone
For than 1,300 years, the onsen (温泉, meaning "hot spring") has been a medicinal, spiritual, and social tradition in Japanese culture. Hot springs are mentioned in…
Japanese Tea Ceremony: A Thousand Years of Mindfulness in a Cup
The Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu, sadō, or chado—literally "the Way of Tea") involves more than just preparing and pouring tea. This highly ritualised art form…