JAPAN: Kyoto parade, Kyushu, Yakushima, Osaka, Koyasan

Tom’s latest trip to Japan saw national treasures from Kyoto to Kyushu (October 15–November 12, 2024). During our 29-day visit, favorite experiences included Kyoto’s colorful Festival of Ages (Jidai Matsuri) parade and Miyajima island’s grand torii gate at sunset.

In our first 12 days, my wife Carol attended Okan Arts’ Kyoto Textile Adventure while I toured Kyoto, Nara, Hikone Castle, Osaka, and sacred Mount Koya (Koyasan). We rejoined in Osaka and flew south to remote Yakushima — an island off an island off an island — for a dose of UNESCO subtropical rainforest teeming with snow monkeys and dwarf deer. A 35-minute flight hopped to Kyushu island, where we rented a second car for a one-way drive to see volcanos, hot springs, historic stone Buddhas, beautiful Takachiho Gorge, and Kumamoto Castle. Trains then whisked us back to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Honshu island via the Kintaikyo triple-arched bridge, sacred Miyajima island, historic Hiroshima, Kurashiki’s canal town, and bustling Yokohama.

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See also our 2018 trip to “JAPAN: Tokyo, Kyoto, Alps, Matsumoto, Himeji, Nikko, Mt Fuji, Kii Peninsula, Nara’s Horyuji” and cherry blossoms in 2023.

Japan tips for navigation, trains, phones, ATM cash

Incredibly helpful worldwide, the Google Maps smartphone app makes point-to-point navigation super easy everywhere in Japan. We easily crossed the language barrier with the help of train signs written in English, friendly locals, and the amazing Google Translate app. Both apps require a live connection to a good Japanese cellular data plan, discussed below. Click here for Tom’s 2024 list of Japan waypoints in Google Maps.

The free online Japan-Guide.com covers Japan travel in astounding detail, better than any printed book!

Good throughout Japan, rechargeable IC transit cards (PASMO, SUICA, etc.) conveniently pay fares on public transportation and make payments at many vending machines, shops and restaurants by simply touching the card on a reader for about one second. First withdraw Japanese currency from an ATM, then make a purchase at a convenience store (like the ubiquitous Seven Eleven or FamilyMart chains) to break the larger bills into smaller ones, then purchase or recharge your IC card with 1000- or 5000-yen bills. IC cards eliminate fumbling with unfamiliar coins. For shorter journeys combining regular non-shinkansen trains, buses and subways, the IC transit cards worked great with a simple TAP when entering and exiting the control gates. (Once, I mistakenly fed an IC card into a gate’s paper ticket reader, which caused an embarrassing jam!) At trip’s end, buy meals or snickers snacks to use up the IC card’s balance and/or save the card for your next Japan trip.

Use the handy Japan Rail Pass Calculator to see if separate tickets will be more economical for your itinerary. In 2018, when rail passes were less expensive, the JR Pass worked well for us for 2 weeks. In 2024, separate paper tickets proved cheaper than a rail pass for our 4-day trip from Kyushu to Yokohama. The reliable Japanese train network includes 200mph bullet trains (shinkansen), which resemble ground-hugging jet airplanes. Separate tickets for shinkansen (bullet train) journeys were best purchased by waiting in line for a helpful human. Booking an assigned seat is cheap and more reassuring than general boarding. Book shinkansen trains at least a day or two in advance, or else you may have to upgrade to first class / green class. Three types of shinkansen trains connect Tokyo with Kyoto — Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama — avoid the Kodama which stops at every station en route in 4 hours, nearly twice as long.

Driving tips: Drive on the left. It’s illegal to turn on a red light. STOP signs are triangular and solid red — don’t confuse them with yield signs. On a steady yellow right arrow, only streetcars may proceed. A solid green right arrow and flashing yellow or red light are the same as in the USA. Driving is most useful in rural areas, like visiting parks on Kyushu and Yakushima islands, but is more challenging in big cities, where using the widespread public transit systems is more practical than dealing with parking. 60KM per hour speed limit is standard if unmarked. Relax, you’ll have extra reaction time, as Japanese speed limits are well below those found in the USA or most other countries, perhaps due to the narrow roads and predominance of tiny, low-powered vehicles.

At a gas station, park by a pump, open your window and shut off your car. Tell the attendant what kind of gas (“regular”), how much (“mantan” = full tank) and how you will pay = “credit card”. He may give you a wet towel to clean your dash or ask to take your garbage. Self service セルフ stations provide only Japanese language menus — ask an attendant to help. When paying by cash, the change machine is often a separate machine or inside the gas station building.

Recommended eSIM plan

To save money on cell phone data, using an eSIM in 2024 proved cheaper and easier than inserting a physical Japanese SIM card in 2018. The following plan easily covered our month in Japan: 50 GB data-only / 31 days ¥4,900 / US$31 “Short-Term” for tourists — Mobal.com. The latest phone models support using a data-only Japanese eSIM simultaneously with your existing phone number and texting plan using international roaming (such as Consumer Cellular’s T-Mobile on our Samsung S23 Ultra). However, we found communication to be most reliable using WhatsApp, which channels texting and phone calls through the high-quality Japanese data network. After Mobal’s service stopped a few times (maybe due to our phones’ OS updates), reentering their eSIM settings fixed the problem.

All Japan galleries from 2024

Below, see Tom’s Japan travel tips and photos of 2024 grouped by city and area. You can also view these images in sequential order in a single gallery at this link in my Portfolio (where you can Add to Cart).

Kyoto

Conveniently, history has packed the essence of Japan into central Honshu island (the “Mainland”), culturally centered upon Kyoto.

Add any of the above images from Kyoto (2024 and 2018) to your Cart for purchase using Tom’s Portfolio site. My Kyoto photos from 2024 include the following:

Revisiting the famous Shinto shrine of Fushimi Inari Taisha was well worthwhile, best started early in the morning to avoid dense crowds. Senbon Torii (one thousand torii gates) is the name for the tunnel of bright vermilion gates covering a wooded trail network leading up 233-meter-tall Mount Inari, atop which I explored an elaborate, uncrowded cemetery. Fushimi Inari is the most important of several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. The shrine predates the capital’s move to Kyoto in 794. The torii gates are donated by individuals and companies, as inscribed on the back of each gate.

Founded in 1236 by the Fujiwara clan, Tofuku-ji is the primary temple of its own school within the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. The 22-meter-tall Sanmon Gate is a National Treasure — the largest and oldest Zen gate in Japan, rebuilt in 1425 (refurbished 1969-1978). Distinctive zen rock gardens uniquely surround the Hojo building (the head priest’s former living quarters).

At Daigo-ji Buddhist temple, beautiful Sanboin is the former head priest residence (originally built in 1115) and garden rebuilt in 1598. Daigo-ji is one of Kyoto’s seventeen UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Daigo-ji’s most iconic view is Bentendo Hall and footbridge reflected in a pond, popularly viewed during fall foliage season, which had barely begun on October 19. Niomon Gate features two menacing Niō, guardians of Buddha, at the entrance to the lower complex of Daigo-ji. Niō are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing as statues at the entrance of many Buddhist temples. They are dharmapala (Buddhist dharma protector) manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the oldest and most powerful of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon. Originally built in 926, the current Kondo Hall was relocated to Daigoji in 1599 and stores the temple’s main object of worship, a seated statue of the Yakushi Buddha. Built in 951 AD in Japan, Daigo-ji’s 5-story pagoda is Kyoto’s oldest pagoda (an architectural style invented in Bhaktapur, Nepal by the 500s AD, evolved from the Asian stupa).

Built 1053 AD to house an Amida Buddha, Byodo-in temple is one of Kyoto Prefecture’s 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, all worth visiting. (We also visited the half-scale replica of Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe, O’ahu, built in 1968 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii.)

Kyoto Botanical Gardens, founded 1924, is the oldest and most comprehensive public botanical garden in Japan — a hidden gem, free of the dense crowds found at other major Kyoto sights. Most impressive were the greenhouse, night-blooming cactus, and bonsai exhibits.

I was underwhelmed by Toei Uzumasa Eigamura / Kyoto Studio Park — an unadorned film set and theme park where reenactors and guests dress in historic costumes. The Japanese ninja show was diverting, but this place may be more attractive to children.

Located between Kyoto and Nagoya, Hikone Castle (Hikone-jō) is an impressive National Treasure (a 15-minute walk west from JR Hikone Station in Shiga Prefecture). As a rare survivor of chaotic history, Hikone Castle has remained intact since its completion in 1622 (including main keep, most inner moats, walls, guard houses, and gates). Hikone is one of only twelve castles in Japan with its original keep (tenshu) and one of only five castles with buildings listed as National Treasures. At the base of the fortress is the aging Genkyu-en garden, built 1677–84.

Kyoto parade – Jidai Matsuri 2024

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Jidai Matsuri is Heian Shrine’s “Festival of the Ages” — an elaborate parade of historically-costumed reenactors, held yearly starting at noon on October 22 (Kyoto’s birthday in 794 CE). This impressive cavalcade marches from Kyoto’s old Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. The 2-kilometer-long procession of historically-dressed volunteers represent Japanese cultural history from the Meiji era back to the 780s Enryaku era. The fabulous garments of this marching living-history museum are all painstakingly researched and recreated — made and dyed with thousand-year-old techniques. The reenactors portray famous historical figures, princesses, warriors, priests, politicians, merchants, and commoners. I photographed the complete 1.5-hour parade twice on the same day in 2024 — first at the parade’s initial turn, then second at Heian Shrine’s torii gate, 5 kilometers away along the parade’s route, reached by public bus.

Previously located in Nara city, Japan’s capital was relocated to Heian-kyō, now known as Kyoto, from 794–1868. Kyoto Imperial Palace hosted Japan’s imperial family from the 1300s to 1800s. Both Heian Shrine and its Jidai Matsuri festival were established in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto and to promote a city-wide revival — amidst a period of concern for Kyoto’s future after the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1868, along with the Emperor, the imperial family, and most of the government. The Festival of the Ages is both a celebration of Kyoto’s history and traditional arts and also a ritual to honor Emperors Kammu and Komei (the first and last emperors to reign from Kyoto), whose spirits are honored by Heian Shrine.

Nara: Todaiji temple

Nara was the first capital of Japan (710-794 AD) and the root of Japanese culture, religions, and social structure, featuring many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples.

In Nara, the local deer bow their heads in response to human bows, as they await being fed healthy deer crackers. Bowing is a fundamental part of Japanese social etiquette, and the 1200 celebrity Nara deer have adapted to humans for 1000 years — they’re considered as messengers of the Shinto gods. Nara deer are sika deer (Cervus nippon, native to much of East Asia), also known as Northern spotted deer or Japanese deer. In nature, deer bow heads to signal the intention to headbutt. When a human “bows” to a deer, the animal may interpret it as a challenge, and likewise nod their head, before possibly charging and attempting to headbutt (both for play and to assert dominance, as do goats).

At Todai-ji temple, the Nandaimon Gate (Great South Gate) was built in 1203 AD — one of the world’s largest and oldest wooden gates. Its avenue leads to the impressive Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall) — one of the world’s largest wooden buildings. The current Big Buddha Hall was rebuilt in 1692 at 70% the size of its predecessor, which had been destroyed by fire.

Nearby, Kofuku-ji is the former family temple of the Fujiwara, the most powerful aristocratic clan during much of the Nara and Heian Periods. The temple was established in Nara at the same time as the capital in 710. The current Kofukuji Temple building was built in 1181. The temple features several buildings of great historic value, including a five-storied pagoda and a three-storied pagoda.

Osaka

For many centuries, Osaka has been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai Region and is now Japan’s second largest metropolitan area.

Osaka Castle played a major role in the unification of Japan. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa (Osaka’s former name) was Japan’s first known capital city. In the 1500s, Toyotomi Hideyoshi built his castle in Osaka, which would have become Japan’s political capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not ended the Toyotomi lineage and established his government in distant Edo (Tokyo). Originally built 1583–1597 as Japan’s then-largest castle, its prominent keep was destroyed four times — by wars in 1615, 1868, and 1945 and lightning in 1665. To avoid creating another wooden lightning rod, its landmark main tower was rebuilt in 1931 using modern reinforced concrete. A shachihoko or shachi is a sea monster in Japanese folklore with the head of a dragon or tiger lion and the body of a carp. A male and female pair are mounted at each end of a Japanese castle’s roof ridge as spirits to protect castles from fire (which hasn’t worked well historically).

Located in Tempozan Harbor Village, the spectacular Osaka Aquarium presents sea life from around the Pacific Rim. Visitors start on the 8th floor and spiral down floor by floor around the dramatic nine-meters-deep central tank, representing the Pacific Ocean. Two whale sharks are the star attraction — the world’s biggest fish, which lives in tropical and warm temperate seas around the world, from the coast of New York to southern Japan to the northern half of Australian waters. Also on display are Japanese giant spider crabs, which have the greatest leg span of any arthropod – up to 12 feet from claw to claw. An open indoor exhibit shows lively southern rock hopper penguins, which live on craggy, windswept shorelines of the islands north of Antarctica, from Chile to New Zealand.

“The Little Mermaid” artwork in Osaka is a sister copy of the original in Copenhagen, a bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen – depicting a mermaid who falls in love with a human prince and longs to become human so she can be with him – from the story published in 1837 by Hans Christian Andersen.

Packed with nightlife, Osaka’s Dotonbori entertainment district is a dining and selfie hotspot which includes canal tours.

Kii Peninsula: Koyasan / Mt. Koya

Koyasan is the center of Shingon Buddhism, introduced to Japan in 805 AD by Kobo Daishi (aka Kukai), one of the most revered persons in Japan’s religious history. To reach Koyasan from Osaka in about 3 hours, take a fast train to a mountain train to a funicular to a bus, on the Kii Peninsula of Honshu, Japan’s main island.

Opened in 835, Okunoin contains the sacred mausoleum of Kobo Daishi. Okunoin (Oku-no-in, meaning ’inner sanctuary’) is a sacred Buddhist site, cemetery, and major pilgrimage destination reachable by bus 2 kilometers east of Koyasan’s Elevated Precinct. Wishing to be close to Kobo Daishi in death to receive salvation, many people, including prominent monks and feudal lords, have had their tombstones erected here over the centuries. Okunoin is now the largest cemetery in Japan, with more than two hundred thousand graves and memorial monuments lining the two-kilometer approach to Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum.

Daimon Gate, the traditional entrance to Mount Kōya, was reconstructed in 1705 during the Edo Era. From Daimon Gate, a wooded trail passes north through a few torii gates up a hill to Mt. Benten shrine, which venerates goddess Benzai-ten, at Koyasan. Via Mount Benten, I walked 2 miles of the Nyonin Michi (Women’s Pilgrimage Route), which circles Koyasan’s sacred precinct. Until 1872, women were not permitted within, so their pilgrimage went around, for prayer at the entrances. Modern pilgrims emulate old by trekking here for basic temple lodgings to experience prayers and breakfast with the monks.

The vermilion Konpon Daito Pagoda stands 45 meters tall, at the center of Kongobu-ji Danjo Garan (Elevated Precinct) in Koyasan. Significant structures nearby are the 1932 Kondo Hall, Chumon (Middle Gate, rebuilt in 2015 after an 1843 fire destroyed the previous one), and Kongobu-ji temple.

Shogun Ieyasu’s Mausoleum at Tokugawa Clan Mausoleum was built at Koyasan in 1643 by Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa shogun, in order to be close to Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum. The two buildings of Tokugawa Clan Mausoleum (Tokugawa-ke Reidai) enshrine the spirit of Iemitsu’s grandfather Ieyasu and father Hidetada, the first two Tokugawa Clan shogun — but neither are actually buried here. Tokugawa Hidetada’s ashes were ceremoniously laid to rest in the Taitoku-in Mausoleum in Edo (now Tokyo), but damaged in WWII. The remains of the first shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, were first buried at Kunōzan Tōshō-gū in Shizuoka Prefecture, then thought to be reburied at Nikkō Tōshō-gū, a mausoleum enlarged magnificently by Ieyasu’s grandson. After Ieyasu was posthumously deified as Tōshō Daigongen, the Tōshō-gū shrines honoring his spirit reached 500 in number across Japan but diminished to less than 130 after the Meiji Restoration. Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) unified a warring Japan and founded the Tokugawa Shogunate, which ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868.

Yakushima island

A Japan Airlines Commuter flight spirited us from Itami Airport (ITM / Osaka International Airport) southwards to remote Yakushima island, on the 30th parallel. Flying is much faster than ferrying from or to Kyushu island, located to the north. Yakushima is a quiet, subtropical island with ancient cedar forest, within Kagoshima Prefecture. With nearly 2000-meter-high mountains, Yakushima scoops a lot of rain, almost daily in the mountainous interior, at least lightly.

Stopping frequently to admire the snow monkeys from our rental car, we circled the perimeter road, which tightly narrows in the west and excludes buses (on Prefectural Route 78) as it winds through the lush Yakushima UNESCO World Heritage Site, which comprises 20% of Yakushima island. Japanese macaques are the world’s most northerly monkey species – thriving up to the northern tip of Honshu island. On Yakushima they are called yakuzaru and equal the number of human residents (around 13,000 in 2024). We recommend the short path in Yokko Valley which follows an attractive stream to a natural pool. Don’t miss Ohko Waterfall and Senpiro-no-taki, two beautiful cascades easily accessible by car and foot.

Rented poles helped hiking the slippery “80-minute Course” in Yakusugi Land, which we enjoyed photographing for 3 hours, including hanging bridges and the Kuguri-tsuga / “Conifer Underpass” cedar tree. Typically living for 500 years, Japanese cedar trees are a valuable conifer in the cypress family. The trees 1000+ years-old are venerated with the name yakusugi (Yakushima + sugi, meaning cedar). Industrial logging, peaking in the 1960s, yielded to environmental consciousness preserving the island’s central forest. Forests that were widely logged for cedar shingles during the late feudal age have recovered well and now attract hikers.

The luxurious Hotel Yakushima Ocean & Forest in Miyanoura offers ocean views and a delicious Japanese dinner.

Kyushu island

Built by volcanoes, Kyushu island offers hot springs galore, such as our Airbnb house’s private pool piped from neighborhood hot springs in the Kirishima range.

From Kagoshima International Airport on Kyushu island, we drove to the Ebino Plateau 50 minutes. From Ebino Kogen town, we hiked through fog around Byakushi Pond on Mount Shiratori (2.8 miles round trip with 560 feet gain). The surrounding Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park offers beautiful landscapes, famous mountains, and popular hiking trails. Kirishima is an active volcanic mountain range straddling Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures, including some of Japan’s most scenic volcanic cones, craters, and hot springs. Ebino Kogen means “shrimp highlands” named for the pampas grass which becomes pinkish from iron in the soil during late summer.

Ōnami Lake (4600 ft elevation on on Mt Karakuni) is Japan’s highest crater lake. A short drive from lodging in Kirishima reaches the Ōnami-iki pond trailhead (1.8 miles round trip hike with 800 feet gain, mostly paved, though a bit slippery to descend when wet and leafy). In the Kirishima Range, native rhododendron flowers bloom primarily in May-June, but a few flowered for us in November, about 1 inch wide.

Inukai Falls / Inukai-no-taki is worth visiting near Kirishima City, in Kagoshima Prefecture.

I was fascinated by the Usuki Stone Buddhas in Kyushu’s Oita Prefecture. Dating from the Heian Period 794-1185, the several galleries of Usuki Stone Buddhas are carved from soft, volcanic rock blasted and resettled from nearby Mount Aso volcano. In Japan, Buddha statues are usually made of wood or metal, but stone statues are rarer — Usuki’s are the only stone Buddhas in Japan to be designated as National Treasures.

We enjoyed seeing several of the Hells (Jigoku) of Beppu, including:

Blood Pond Hell (Chi-no-Ike Jigoku), which is red from clay
Umi Jigoku or Sea Hell, a pretty ocean-blue hot springs — plus its spacious gardens with a beautiful water lily greenhouse and an orange hell.

Nabegataki Falls, which allows visitors to walk right under the falls without getting wet, is so popular that reservations were required — but sadly our two different credit cards were rejected online on their website, so we left the limited parking area. Our consolation was the notable Ryumon Falls (Ryumon-no-taki) and its Jizo statuary, devoid of visitors.

Containing rich farmland and three cities, Aso Caldera is 75 miles in circumference, one of the largest calderas in the world. Aso Caldera’s grasslands have been maintained by humans for 10,000 years through the grazing of domesticated animals and controlled burns. As the largest active volcano in Japan, Mount Aso (Asosan) most recently erupted in 2021 and 2016, in central Kyushu. From Asosankakohinankyukeisho Parking Lot accessible by toll road in Aso Kujū National Park, we strolled to a dramatically steaming lake in Nakadake Crater. Within an hour of our arrival in October 2024, the area was closed to visitors out of caution regarding risk of poisonous volcanic gases — a common occurrence at this active volcano.

The Gokase River cut the narrow Takachiho Gorge through a fascinating pattern of volcanic basalt columns, which formed over 100,000 years ago from an eruption of Mount Aso. Within the dramatic chasm, beautiful Minainotaki waterfall plunges 17 meters into the river, below a bridge. Although subject to crowding, this free walk is one our favorite sights on Kyushu, located 70 minutes drive southeast of Mt. Aso’s Nakadake Crater.

Suizenji Jojuen Garden, which began in 1636 in Kumamoto City, is good for a relaxing stroll to see the koy pond, shaped trees, and artistic Mount Fuji hill model. Ornamental koi (or nishikigoi, “brocaded carp”) were selectively bred from domesticated common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Japan starting in the 1820s. If allowed to breed freely, the koi subspecies will revert to original carp coloration within a few generations. Native to Central Europe and Asia, carp were first bred for color mutations in China more than a thousand years ago, where selective breeding of the Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio) eventually developed goldfish (Carassius auratus), which is a species distinct from common carp and koi.

Kato Kyomasa, lord of Higo Province (Kumamoto Prefecture), originally built Kumamoto Castle in 1607. While few of Kumamoto Castle’s structures have survived intact, it has been diligently rebuilt multiple times — after the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, after WWII, and after the severe 2016 earthquake. Notice the zig zag passage of ramparts designed to slow attackers. We enjoyed posing with samurai reenactors at Kumamoto Castle.

Artistic manhole covers (hatchcovers) featuring local themes are the norm in Japan and make fun photo subjects.

At the Kumamoto Prefectural Ancient Burial Mound Museum, the Iwabaru Kofun cluster of burial mounds dates from 300-500 AD, in Yamaga city. Japanese architect Tadao Ando designed the onsite Forest of Tombs Museum here. A visually striking sci-fi movie called “Equals” (2016, filmed partly in Japan, based on George Orwell’s book 1984) drew my attention to Tadao Ando’s cool architecture, known for simplicity in concrete.

Below is our one-way rental car route on Google Maps from Kagoshima Airport to Kumamoto Train Station:

Iwakuni: Kintaikyo bridge

Fast trains whisked us from Kyushu back to Honshu island, where we stopped to see one of the world’s most elegant footbridges, in Iwakuni, in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Completed in 1673 without using any metal nails, the 5-arch wooden Kintaikyo Bridge for pedestrians was regularly maintained every 20 years, until WWII stopped the upkeep — then a 1950 typhoon collapsed it. It was meticulously rebuilt in 1953. Crowning the hill above is the 1962 replica of Iwakuni Castle.

Miyajima island: Itsukushima torii, in Hiroshima Prefecture

Officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly called Miyajima – Japanese for “shrine island”. I twice enjoyed the scenic sunset at Itsukushima Shrine’s grand torii, a major icon of Japan. The Shrine’s main buildings and the Shrine’s iconic torii are built over tidewater. Within the shrine rises a five-tier pagoda called Itsukushima Jinja Gojūnotō. Unlike at Nara, feeding the island’s sika deer isn’t allowed. Resident monkeys formerly caused problems and most were recently moved off the island to a monkey park in Inuyama, north of Nagoya.

A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, marking the boundary between the everyday and the sacred. Shinto (“the way of the gods”) is the indigenous faith of Japan. Japan first appeared in written history in the Chinese Book of Han, completed in 111 AD. Shinto remains Japan’s major religion alongside Buddhism which was introduced in the 500s AD.

Starting from Momijidani Park, three steep hiking trails and a ropeway (cable car) ascend Mount Misen. After riding up the ropeway, further effort on foot is required to reach the top of Mt. Misen (walking steeply up and down 600 vertical feet in 1.5 miles round trip). Several Buddhist structures can be explored. From atop Mt. Misen, impressive 360-degree views cover the Seto Inland Sea and and Hiroshima City. At 1755 feet above sea level, Miyajima’s highest peak has been long revered by Buddhists and hikers.

Hiroshima

On August 6, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb weapon obliterated nearly everything in central Hiroshima within a two kilometer radius. We were overwhelmed seeing hundreds of students and adults solemnly honoring the memorials to Hiroshima’s 220,000 mostly-civilian deaths from the atomic blast and subsequent radiation. The A-Bomb Dome, also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, is what remains of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, at the center of the blast — now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hiroshima isn’t radioactive today primarily because the atomic bomb exploded above ground, which caused most of the radioactive material to disperse into the atmosphere and decay rapidly. Despite having its heart cut out in 1945, Hiroshima’s population has grown 8 times since then and thrives today with 1.2 million people.

Built in 1589, then destroyed by the A-Bomb, Hiroshima Castle was rebuilt stronger in 1958, using ferroconcrete and wood. Despite the surrounding castle being destroyed, several trees survived the blast and are still growing today and marked with signs.

Kurashiki: historic canals

Near Okayama, a night in Kurashiki City let us explore the pleasant Bikan Historical Quarter, a district of warehouses preserved from the Edo Period 1603-1867, now filled by shops & lunch spots (but mostly closed for dinner; so instead we dined at our hotel).

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Yokohama

Yokohama is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture, located 30 minutes south of Tokyo by train. Starting in 1983, a former shipyard was redeveloped into Minato Mirai 21 – the “Port of the Future in the 21st century” – which became the central business district of Yokohama. In this clean-cut urban center, we attended the “World Quilt Festival in Yokohama 2024” for 1.5 hours at PACIFICO Convention Hall. Creative quilts and fabric artworks were submitted from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, France, Ireland, USA, and many more countries.

Sakoku (“chained country”) describes the isolationist foreign policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate, under which during the Edo period (from 1603 to 1868), relations and trade between Japan and other countries were severely limited. After Yokohama became one of the first Japanese ports to be opened to foreign trade in 1859, it grew to become Japan’s second largest city (over three million people).

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