When feudal Japan re-opened to foreign relations after centuries of isolation in the 19th century, it had a lot technological catching up to do and Nagasaki was at the forefront of Japan’s rapid modernization. Previously the home of Japanese Catholicism…
Tokyo is a place constantly in change. Buildings rise and fall, little is sacred, but if you want to see a little bit of that Old Tokyo that’s mostly escaped us and learn about the great city’s past in…
I checked my Seikosha pocket watch, drawing it as close as the watch chain holding it to my waist coat would allow. It wasn’t unexpected, but she was late. It was mid-day on the Mojiko Station square and the sun…
(Our visit to Showa no Machi was partially covered here in article about Kids on the Slope movie filming locations.) Time travel is a distinct possibility in Japan; throughout the country neighborhoods or districts are preserved like time capsules of…
I just finished watching Demon Slayer, an anime about Kamado Tanjiro, a boy hunting for the demon who slaughtered his family and turned his sister Nezuko into one. A tale full of memorable characters, a compelling story and great shonen…
Tokyo station is the starting point for visits to many of Tokyo’s great sights, but the historic station itself is also a destination to appreciate that doesn’t cost a thing to see. And for those looking to see Tokyo on…
My Recollections of World War II By Sui Iseki These are the recollections of Sui Iseki, who was a typist at the Kawatana Naval Factory, which manufactured Type 91 aerial torpedoes. Kawatana is a small town in Nagasaki Prefecture,…
The Atomic Bomb Museum, Peace Park and hypocenter are Nagasaki’s most well-known cluster of sites associated with Aug. 9, 1945 atomic bombing but less than 500 meters away there’s another place that’s less known but with its own unique perspective…
Recently I went to rural Tokyo (yes, it has a rural part) to visit Edo-Tokyo Tatemono, the 25 building architectural park that preserves old Tokyo buildings. Its collection includes the homes of Edo era farmers and a prime minister as…
When Commodore Perry arrived in 1853 to deliver a letter, Japan had no means to keep the postman away. The nation was sent into chaos resulting in the overthrowing of the Shogunate, abolition of the feudal system and social class…