Today, I learned the color of vermilion. Apparently, this orange–red color is so disliked by evil spirits that many shrines and places of honor in Japan are painted in this bright orange color. Today, we went to Fushimi Inari shrine…
Feeding Deer at Todaiji Temple
Today we went to Todaiji Temple, home of the largest bronze statue of Buddha in the world and one of the largest wooden structures in the world. The temple is in Nara, about an hour south of Kyoto by train. …
The Golden Pavilion
We got to go to Kinkakuji today. Also called the Golden Pavilion, Kinkakuji is a Buddhist hall on the north side of Kyoto containing relics of Buddha. Formerly a retirement villa for Shogun Askikaga Yoshimitsu, the top two levels of…
The Hiroshima Bombing
I was and am still amazed at how devastating one explosion could be to one packed city such as busy Hiroshima! I have been there, seen the A-Bomb dome, visited the children peace memorial, and seen the Hiroshima peace…
My First Typhoon
I have experienced 70 mph winds, close to a typhoon! I loved and was amazed at being inside a tropical storm. I have never been inside anything stronger than a thunderstorm and was quite excited. I have always been interested…
Great Days on Miyajima
Miyajima is known for one of the quintessential images of Japan… the floating torii gate. While the torri gate does not actually float in the water, the iconic image of the torii gate surrounded by its own reflections in the…
Hike to Mitaki Temple and the Bamboo Forest
We did a fun hike yesterday to the top of Mitaki (Three Waterfall) Temple. An employee at our hotel told us about it, and boy was it a real treat! We left Hiroshima station, the prefecture’s largest station and a…
The Fantastic Foods of Japan
From squid to bean paste, from good to bad, from weird to simple, there are many amazing and great foods in Japan. Ice cream waffles and sushi are just a few of them! At breakfast, you have choices of what…
Visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial
On Wednesday, we visited the Hiroshima Peace Park, including the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Children’s Peace Memorial, the Flame of Peace, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It was very moving and very powerful for all of us. It is…
Nagashi Somen
The other day, we had a fun new experience that involved bamboo, ramen, and lots of water. For the first time, we had the chance to try Nagashi Somen – loosely translated as Flowing Noodles. Nagashi Somen is a summertime…