A Taste of Autumn in Japan

Last week, I had an appointment in Omote-Sando, a neighborhood in central Tokyo adjacent to Meiji Shrine, a Shintō holy site located on the grounds of a former Imperial garden. The shrine enshrines the Meiji Emperor and his Empress consort, who were deified after their deaths and now serve as Shintō guardians of Japan. I love to visit Meiji Shrine when I’m in the area–and I’ll post more photos from the visit soon. When I’m there, I also like to stop into the small cafe near the large Torii at the entrance to the shrine. They have some of the

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An Autumn Visit to the Dragon King

An Autumn Visit to the Dragon King

On the first weekend in November, my son and I headed up to Tochigi Prefecture to hike the Ryuō-kyō (Gorge of the Dragon King). This was my third hike through the gorge, but the first time for my son, and I hoped we’d timed it correctly for autumn foliage. As you’ll see, it didn’t disappoint:

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On Crying-Bug Mountain (Nakimushiyama) [No. 144-146]

On Crying-Bug Mountain (Nakimushiyama) [No. 144-146]

On October 24, I headed north to Nikkō, in Tochigi Prefecture, to hike a new-to-me trail that included Nakimushiyama (鳴虫山), an 1,103-meter mountain not far from Nikkō station. The route went up and over three smaller peaks, too, and though much of the trail is surrounded by trees, there were a few spots with beautiful views as well.

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