Lee Dobson

While you probably won’t encounter an elusive river sprite in the highlands of the Northern Japan Alps, you may feel a bit lightheaded from the refreshing thin air, remarkable vistas and mystical aura of the mountains and valleys in Kamikochi.

Affectionately known as “Konpira-san,” Kagawa’s Kotohira-gu Shrine is believed to be one of Japan’s power spots and home to a god...

If you are tired of battling the crowds at the airport during Golden Week, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the spring holid...

It was a cold January evening in 1618. The guard shivered, stifled a yawn and shifted his weight from right to left in an effort ...

When locals in Kansai head to the beaches and the mountains for a little summer respite, many find themselves in Wakayama Prefect...

According to myth, Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, and her brother, Tsukiyomi, the Moon God, once soared across the sky together. Aft...

“Mine has been a life of much shame” -Dazai Osamu, 1948 (From his book No Longer Human, or Ningen Shikkaku)   Hardly ...

What is 3776.24 meters tall, weighs a gazillion tons, is revered by millions and is the quintessential symbol of Japan? If you an...

Golden silence reigns with the dawn. There’s little but the sound of the Azusa River as it passes under the bridge like a cerulea...

Magome and Tsumago, two post towns on the old mountain road linking Tokyo and Kyoto, are still great places to rest for the weary...

Head to the furthest reaches of Japan’s least populated prefecture, Tottori, and prepare to be dazzled. In a country where...

According to legend, a poor peasant potato farmer used to wash gold dust from his harvest into a well, a ritual he performed dail...