Matsue’s eponymous castle might be its most famous attraction, but a single leisurely afternoon spent in this historic corner of Shimane Prefecture allowed me to sample a few other treasures that I’d completely missed on my first visit here.
Category Archives: Japan
Field Report: The Gardens of the Adachi Museum of Art, Yasugi, Japan (07 July 2015)
Japan is replete with beautiful gardens, and it’s hard to imagine how any particular specimen – much less a relatively new arrival to the scene – could possibly stand above the many other horticultural masterpieces sprinkled across the country. Indeed, one might argue that no single Japanese garden can rightfully seize the crown of “undisputedContinue reading “Field Report: The Gardens of the Adachi Museum of Art, Yasugi, Japan (07 July 2015)”
Field Report: Myth and history at Izumo, Japan (06 July 2015)
Although the long ride from Tōkyō to Shimane Prefecture on one of Japan’s last sleeper trains was almost an attraction in itself, that epic journey was but a means to an end. The end, of course, being the small but incredibly historic city of Izumo, which hosts one of the country’s oldest and most importantContinue reading “Field Report: Myth and history at Izumo, Japan (06 July 2015)”
Rail Report: Tōkyō to Izumo on the Sunrise Izumo overnight train, Japan (05-06 July 2015)
In the summer of 2015, I set off on the longest continuous land journey I’d ever undertaken in my life, travelling west across nearly a thousand kilometres of track from Tōkyō to Shimane Prefecture. Rather than contend with a long daytime train ride and the inevitable transfers, I decided to sleep away the journey –Continue reading “Rail Report: Tōkyō to Izumo on the Sunrise Izumo overnight train, Japan (05-06 July 2015)”
Field Report: In the footsteps of the 47 Rōnin at Sengaku-ji, Tōkyō, Japan (05 July 2015)
We will never know the full truth behind what drove Asano Naganori to unsheathe his sword within the confines of Edo Castle in 1701, and in so doing trigger the famous raid of the 47 Rōnin nearly two years later. We do know where this long and bloody tale ended: the serene precincts of Sengaku-jiContinue reading “Field Report: In the footsteps of the 47 Rōnin at Sengaku-ji, Tōkyō, Japan (05 July 2015)”
Field Report: A day at the JR East Railway Museum, Saitama, Japan (04 July 2015)
Diego travels to a major transportation museum just north of Tōkyō, where the exhibits are bound to leave train enthusiasts feeling as giddy as kids in a toy store.
Field Report: Facing the ghosts of warriors past at Hiraizumi, Japan (03 July 2015)
When I awoke one balmy July morning last year to find Tōkyō in the midst of a heavy shower, I settled upon a simple solution to salvage the day: flee hundreds of miles north to the sunnier, drier environs of Iwate Prefecture. There, I would soak up not summer rain but the glorious memories ofContinue reading “Field Report: Facing the ghosts of warriors past at Hiraizumi, Japan (03 July 2015)”
Rail Report: A touch of trainspotting in Tōkyō, Hiraizumi, and Ichinoseki, Japan (03 July 2015)
On a wet July day in Tōkyō (just a sliver over a year ago now), I decided to escape the dreadful weather by travelling hundreds of miles north to the drier landscapes of Iwate Prefecture … but we’ll save the sightseeing part for a different post. Right now, let’s talk about something else: the trainsContinue reading “Rail Report: A touch of trainspotting in Tōkyō, Hiraizumi, and Ichinoseki, Japan (03 July 2015)”
Field Report: A real teahouse and a surreal swimming pool in Kanazawa, Japan (02 July 2015)
Walk into one of Kanazawa’s beautifully preserved Edo-period teahouses in the present day, and you’re likely to emerge gently invigorated after sipping a soothing bowl of freshly whisked matcha and gazing serenely at an immaculately maintained courtyard garden. But walk into the very same place two centuries ago, and you’ll probably stumble out tipsy fromContinue reading “Field Report: A real teahouse and a surreal swimming pool in Kanazawa, Japan (02 July 2015)”
Field Report: A quiet garden stroll in Kenrokuen, Kanazawa, Japan (01 July 2015)
The last time I set my feet upon the winding paths of Kenrokuen, it was – if memory serves – a dreary, dim, cloudy day, with barely enough sunlight to see by and cold droplets of rain pelting my head at odd intervals. It was also – if memory serves – a uniquely peaceful andContinue reading “Field Report: A quiet garden stroll in Kenrokuen, Kanazawa, Japan (01 July 2015)”
Within striking distance 