Think of train stations in Japan and the mighty Shinjuku station is sure to come to mind for many people. That is the world’s busiest train station, and Japan monopolises the top 50 list with only five of them not in this country. However, at the other end of the scale are some tiny stations which are usually unstaffed and used by very few commuters.
Station: Miyamae
Prefecture: Continue reading
At the start of this year I went the short distance from the Tokyo Fox Global Operations Centre to Nakiryu in Toshima-ku which is one of the world’s cheapest Michelin starred restaurants. That was great but the noodles often rated as Japan’s most delicious are at a little family-run place about 450 kilometres away.
I’d love to say that I made a pilgrimage to the spiritual heartland of Japan’s ramen world but the fact is that I was Continue reading
When it comes to Japanese castles featuring in movies, Himeji-jo in Hyōgo Prefecture is the most obvious one which comes to mind. It appeared quite extensively in the fifth James Bond movie ‘You Only Live Twice‘ (1967) as well as two Japanese films by legendary director Akira Kurosawa who used it in both ‘Kagemusha‘ (1980) and ‘Ran’ (1985). Himeji is quite rightly considered to be Japan’s most spectacular castle due to its imposing size and beauty. The 007 connection helps to make it important for some film fans too. However, there is a lesser castle in Japan which has also had a fair amount of time on the big screen.
Lying on the east coast of Lake Biwa in the prefecture of Shiga is a small city called Continue reading
Ogaki is one of those stations I’ve passed through a fair few times when travelling by train between Nagoya and Osaka. Admittedly, I had never had any real desire to stop there but it was realistically as far as I could go (en-route to Wakayama where I needed to be the following evening) after watching Kashiwa Reysol win against Shimizu S-Pulse in Shizuoka Prefecture. I then decided to look around the area on Google Maps and perhaps surprisingly came across a fair few places of interest that I wanted to see, and so it proved to be a good decision to stop there for the night.
After arriving at Ogaki Station at about 10 pm I immediately checked into my pre-booked accommodation just a stone’s throw away. I was absolutely exhausted after a long day and was even tempted to Continue reading
With it being located between Tokyo and Yokohama, Kawasaki can often be overlooked or bypassed by people going between Japan’s biggest two cities but it’s not without its own charms. Smelly and noisy industrial works really don’t sound like a sight of sorts but in recent years this zone has gained a niche legion of fans who like to photograph them, particularly when they’re lit up at night. It has a strange, dystopian beauty to it and even boat cruises of the area are available.
The Tsurumi Line in the southeast of Kawasaki was originally Continue reading
For some people, abandoned buildings (known as haikyo in Japanese) are just dirty and messy structures in poor condition with no redeeming or appealing features but for others they offer quite fascinating insights into the lives of others from bygone eras. My opinion definitely falls into the latter category but maybe that’s just because I’m nosey person!
Izu Peninsula has a fair few abandoned buildings. The only ones I’ve previously been inside have all been former businesses like hotels or shops but on a trip to Ito in September I came across the ruins of an old house in the countryside. I’m not going to reveal it’s whereabouts as I can’t pinpoint the exact location. Besides, it’s probably not wise to give out such information anyway!
This particular house seems like it has been vacant and left-alone for Continue reading
When entering a place of worship it is respectful to remove a hat from your head but at this quirky shrine all types of headwear are often left as offerings. However, all is not as innocent and harmless as it may seem as there is a rather sinister backstory for why this happens!
This shrine attracts people who believe it is the place to go to pray for health benefits and injury recovery from the neck upwards. How has this happened though?
It is all to do with a Continue reading
If you`ve ever wondered what it would be like to return to the days of exploration and learning as a toddler, then this outdoor art and architectural installation area may be the place to go.
This museum of sorts is the project work of international artist and architects Continue reading
#17. Chūō
Cycling may be something that I love to do but I’m not really one who goes for a ride without some kind of aim whether it be to a restaurant, a sight or just my workplace. With that in mind, and desperate to get out on my new bike, I decided to cycle round ALL the Inari Shrines in Tokyo taking each of the 23 wards one at a time.
Inspired by recent interest in tiny shrines, this idea seemed like a good way of Continue reading
Over the years I’ve visited many really interesting and quirky buddha statues in Japan of varying sizes and materials but arguably the most impressive and famous one is in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Kamakura was a slight detour en-route to Izu as I wanted to get some Continue reading
Tokyo Fox (東京狐) 