I’ve long had a keen interest in the ambitious project to resurrect the lost Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle: quite possibly one of the most magnificent examples of 17th-century Japanese architecture to have survived from the Edo Period. (Well, up until it was reduced to cinders by Allied bombing in 1945.) Over the course ofContinue reading “Field Report: The Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, Japan (28 November 2018)”
Tag Archives: Chūbu
Food Report: Tea and Kuri-kinton at Daikoku-ya Sabō (Magome-juku, Japan)
Let’s round off my series of Kiso Valley-related posts with a quick and breezy food report. Today’s subject: a tea break I enjoyed whilst visiting the beautiful town of Magome. Welcome to Daikoku-ya Sabō.
Field Report: Tsumago and Magome, Kiso Valley, Japan (27 November 2018)
On a fine autumn morning last November, I set off on another day trip from Nagoya – this time heading deep into the mountainous heart of the Chūbu region. My target: two beautifully preserved post towns that once served an Edo Period highway. There, in the refreshing peace of the Japanese countryside, I enjoyed anContinue reading “Field Report: Tsumago and Magome, Kiso Valley, Japan (27 November 2018)”
Rail-Bus Report: Travelling to and around the Kiso Valley from Nagoya, Japan
In this report, I’ll describe how I travelled to – and between – the wonderfully scenic Edo-period post towns of the Kiso Valley using public transportation, with Nagoya (the nearest major urban centre) as my base.
Rail Report: Travelling by Train between Nagoya and Ise-Shima, Japan
In this report, we’ll explore two options for travelling by train between Nagoya and the Ise-Shima area: one operated by Kintetsu Railway, the other by Japan Railways.
Field Report: Sunpu Castle, Shizuoka, Japan (01 October 2017)
Think about the sort of house you’d like to live in after retirement. Will it be a beach-side bungalow, or perhaps a small cottage out in the country? Whatever form your post-employment residential dream might take, it’s not likely to be on quite the same scale as the sprawling fortress that Tokugawa Ieyasu moved intoContinue reading “Field Report: Sunpu Castle, Shizuoka, Japan (01 October 2017)”
Terminal Report: Chūbu Centrair International Airport (NGO), Aichi, Japan
Two years ago, I flew back home from Japan through Nagoya’s main gateway to the world. Let’s look back into the depths of history – well, not all that far back or deep – and see what the experience was like. Welcome to Chūbu Centrair International Airport.
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.
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 