Culture The Sweet Soul of Wakayama Mandy Bartok A journey through the trails, guesthouses, temples and shrines of Mount Koya in Wakayama Prefecture. Our guide gives you the lowdown..
Culture Hanezu Odori Dance Festival 2026 Late Mar Hanezu, the colour of plum blossom. The pink is so surreal in the paintings, it is other worldly, almost referring to some Buddhist..
Culture Tako-jinja Gary Luscombe Tako-jinja is a small shrine in southern Osaka close to the birthplace of Takamuko-no-Kuromaro. A largely forgotten figure, he was..
Food THE MEAT OSAKA 2025 Apr 25th - May 6th THE MEAT OSAKA is an annual event celebrating all things meat. Carnivores will be delighted with the range of eats on offer, with..
8 Culture Autumn Leaves at Shin-nyo-do Elena Daurtseva The autumn leaves from the three-storied pagoda to the back of the main hall can only be said to be wonderful
Culture Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine Gary Luscombe The largest and most important Shrine in Osaka. Sumiyoshi taisha hosts some of the oldest and most spectacular festivals in the..
Culture The Home of the Sanada Clan Gary Luscombe Kudoyama is a fascinating and historical little town that marks the entrance to Koyasan. The few visitors that do stop here do so..
7 Culture Autumn Leaves of Ankoku-ji, Tajima Takako Sakamoto The spectacular view of illuminated autumn leaves (of Japanese enkianthus) captured in picture-frame-like windows at an old temple..