Field Snapshot: Kōdai-ji, Kyōto, Japan (25 November 2016)

Following my customary walking route through Kyōto’s Higashiyama district, I began with Kiyomizu-dera and gradually worked my way north, pausing for the usual refreshment break at my favourite tea house. Further on into the stroll, I entered a well-known landmark for the first time in years, having skipped it a couple of times after my initial visit. This place is famous not merely for the splendid examples of classical Japanese architecture within its walls, but also for its beautiful traditional gardens.

Continue reading “Field Snapshot: Kōdai-ji, Kyōto, Japan (25 November 2016)”

Food Report: Tea and Traditional Sweets at Kasagi-ya (Kyōto, Japan)

The winding, hilly lanes of Kyōto’s Higashiyama district require a fair bit of effort to navigate. Fortunately, a little tea shop tucked away next to one of the area’s scenic stone-paved streets offers the perfect antidote to depleted energy levels: freshly-made Japanese sweets and a bowl of hot, frothy green tea.

Continue reading “Food Report: Tea and Traditional Sweets at Kasagi-ya (Kyōto, Japan)”

Field Report: Kiyomizu-dera, Kyōto, Japan (25 November 2016)

Kyōto’s Higashiyama district is an area I’ve grown rather fond of, and quite familiar with, through my regular visits to Japan’s former capital. Since I first came here several years ago, I’ve seen a few things change – and not always for the better. The crowds, for one, have grown so unbelievably thick as to almost choke the life out of this historic neighbourhood. But not even my distaste of crowds could stop me from going on yet another prowl across these hilly streets, starting (as these walks almost inevitably do) from the area’s most famous landmark.

Continue reading “Field Report: Kiyomizu-dera, Kyōto, Japan (25 November 2016)”

Field Snapshot: Yet Another Peek at the Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, Japan (24 November 2016)

I’d been to Nagoya Castle a couple of times already, but there was something in particular that I was itching to come back for. And in any event, I’d gladly jump on any excuse to visit one of my favourite castles in Japan.

Continue reading “Field Snapshot: Yet Another Peek at the Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, Japan (24 November 2016)”

Field Report: The Open-air Architectural Museum that is Matsuyama, Japan (23 November 2016)

I’ve developed a habit of returning to my favourite places in Japan every now and then: partly to ensconce myself in the familiar, and partly to make fresh discoveries. Matsuyama was no exception to this pattern. And as I pounded the pavements of this corner of Shikoku one afternoon in November, I found a great many things – both old and new – to take delight in.

Continue reading “Field Report: The Open-air Architectural Museum that is Matsuyama, Japan (23 November 2016)”

Field Report: Ōzu Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (23 November 2016)

I’ve mentioned before how some of Japan’s long-destroyed Edo Period castles are now being reconstructed using historically faithful materials and techniques. This stands in contrast to the mid-20th century trend of building castle replicas out of concrete and fitting them with modern interiors. Last autumn, I visited one of the finest examples of the new generation of resurrected castles: not a cement-and-rebar Frankenbuilding with a sham exterior hiding contemporary innards, but a painstakingly assembled and historically accurate wooden reproduction of the soaring tower that once guarded a city in Shikoku for centuries.

Continue reading “Field Report: Ōzu Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (23 November 2016)”

Field Report: The Kamihaga Residence, Uchiko, Japan (22 November 2016)

In my previous post, we saw some of the splendid buildings that the town of Uchiko was endowed with by its leading families, back during its heyday as a centre for sumac wax production. Now let’s take a look at one more architectural treasure, and at the same time learn about the industry that once brought great prosperity to this quiet corner of Japan.

Continue reading “Field Report: The Kamihaga Residence, Uchiko, Japan (22 November 2016)”

Field Report: Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (22 November 2016)

The town of Uchiko, in Japan’s Ehime Prefecture, once enjoyed great prosperity from the production of sumac wax. Although the industry died out early in the last century, some of the grand houses and public buildings that were erected during that golden age still stand: beautiful reminders of a time when this quiet corner of Shikoku was a bustling centre of commerce.

Continue reading “Field Report: Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (22 November 2016)”

Field Report: Uwajima Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (22 November 2016)

There are just twelve original castles remaining in Japan, four of which are on the island of Shikoku. I visited one of them (Matsuyama) several years ago, and I added two more to the tally (Kōchi and Marugame) earlier during this present trip. Today, let’s tick the last Shikoku item off our list – and do a bit of trainspotting while we’re at it.

Continue reading “Field Report: Uwajima Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (22 November 2016)”

Field Report: Imabari Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (21 November 2016)

I’ve logged thousands of miles of travel through the years in pursuit of the two Japanese things that interest me the most: trains and castles. Needless to say, I find a journey especially rewarding when I can satisfy my thirst for both in one fell swoop – and there are few places better endowed in that regard than the island of Shikoku.

Continue reading “Field Report: Imabari Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (21 November 2016)”