Another wisteria spot in Saitama for you today – this time in Kazo City. This time, one that is quite famous. Not Ashikaga famous, but locally famous. Tamashiki shrine in Kazo may not be nationally famous for its wisteria, but it is for its kagura. The Kagura of Tamashiki ShrineRead More →
Daffodils in Gongendo Park, Saitama January 2021 Daffodils Saitama There are a few places renowned for their daffodils in Saitama, but I think Gongendo park is probably the best known of them all. It is one of the larger displays anyhow, with half a million daffodils grown in the parkRead More →
Kijin shrine: one of a few shrines nationwide dedicated to demon. Hot on the heels of the New Year celebrations, is Setsubun. Setsubun is a festival marking the end of winter and coming of spring. It is celebrated annually on the 3rd of February. However, for the first time inRead More →
January in Japan Have you always wanted to visit Japan, but its a little on the pricey side for you? Or maybe you’ve been to Japan several times and seen the cherry blossoms, autumn leaves and summer festivals. What next? Without a moment’s hesitation, after 20 years living in Japan,Read More →
Hodosan shrine, one of my top ten favorite shrines of all time, is one of those rare shrines that is well worth going out of your way to visit. Apart from its intriguing 1900 year history, the beauty and detail of the shrine and the grounds will captivate you inRead More →
Kanasana Shrine is a rare type of shrine that preserves koshinto, the old form of shinto worship. At Kanasana they venerate the entire mountain, Mt Mitake, as a God in the back of the worship hall. Supposedly there are only three shrines of this kind in all of Japan. Also,Read More →
Hamley’s Santa – To be perfectly honest, I really didn’t think anywhere would have a Santa Claus meet and greet this year, so I haven’t really been looking for updates. But by pure luck, while perusing some news articles, I saw that he is scheduled to visit both the YokohamaRead More →
Information for the first sunrise, Hatsuhinode, in Saitama in 2021. If you’ve read any other of my blog posts about January in Japan, you’ve probably already got the message that it is my favorite month in Japan. One of the main reasons for that is all the New Year events,Read More →
Sumiyoshi Sakura No Sato is a riverside embankment walk in Sakado City, Saitama, about an hour from Tokyo. Along the embankment there are early blooming cherry blossoms called Kawazuzakura. Sumiyoshi Sakura No Sato The 150 Kawazuzakura, a type of early blooming cherry blossom, at Sumiyoshi Sakura No Sato were plantedRead More →
What to expect at a “dezome shiki” – an unique to Japan New Year Firefighters celebration with several elements including parades, demonstrations and traditional performances. Read More →