I love Japanese ropeways (the Japanese term for gondola lifts), and last month I checked another one off my “to-ride” list: the Akechidaira Ropeway in Nikko (Tochigi Prefecture), north of Tokyo. The ropeway sits in the mountains, not far from Lake Chuzenji in Upper Nikko, and is accessible either by car or by bus from JR Nikkō or Tobu Nikkō Station. Since my ride was actually the start of a day hike through the mountains, I hopped the bus from Tobu Nikkō station for the 30-minute ride. The only thing at the bus stop is the ropeway itself, a parking
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“On Badger Mountain”: Hiking Nikko’s Mt. Mujina
Two weeks ago, I headed up to Nikkō, in Tochigi Prefecture, for what I suspect may be my last mountain hike before autumn. While it’s possible that the weather might cooperate long enough for me to sneak in another ascent before September, I’m not a fan of climbing in the extreme heat and humidity of Japanese summers (read: I hate it), and since the rainy season is already under way, this hike was probably the swan song for spring 2022.
Read moreA Traditional Kaiseki Meal in the Heart of Kyoto’s “Floating World”
During the Golden Week holidays, I took a three-day trip to Kyoto, during which I booked a meal at Tousuiro, reputed to be one of the best restaurants in Kyoto. The experience proved to be every bit as spectacular as promised.
Read moreDiscover the Secret Icicles of Narusawa Ice Cave in Yamanashi’s Suicide Forest
A few weeks ago, I took a visit to Narusawa Ice Cave, in Aokigahara (Japan’s famed “suicide forest”), to see the massive natural icicles that form there, underground.
Read moreKosatsuba – Japan’s Medieval Billboards
social classes, and since so many travelers passed through them, they were also excellent places for the Shogunate to post important news, new laws, and edicts, to ensure as many people as possible would see them.
Read moreThe First Sakura of 2022!
I took these pictures of the first cherry blossoms of 2022 on the grounds of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, a Shintō shrine in Kamakura, last weekend.
Read moreA Modern Twist on an Ancient Rite of Spring
This week, I’m blogging at Murder is Everywhere – and sharing a modern twist on an ancient Japanese rite of spring.
Read moreLiving (Near) History in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward
While walking in my neighborhood a few years ago, I came up a little temple with a lovely grove of ume trees inside the outer gate. As it happens, this temple–called En’yū-ji–is 1,200 years old, and home to the oldest wooden building in Tokyo.
Read moreOne Good Book Deserves Another
Books have played an important role in Japanese culture for centuries, which is one of the major reasons I decided to set the newest Hiro Hattori mystery, FIRES OF EDO, in the world of books, and the people who make and sell them.
Read moreSaitama’s Famous Icicles, By Night
Last weekend, I hopped an Express LaView for a two hour ride to Saitama Prefecture (which borders Tokyo to the north) to visit one of the Three Great Icicles of Chichibu.
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