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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Old-fashioned onsen bathing is an experience one normally associates with resort towns or rustic mountain hideaways, but Matsuyama’s own hot spring district brings the experience a little closer to downtown.
All right, I’ll admit it: I’m a castle nut. Not once in my several visits to Japan have I ever failed to visit at least one of these striking symbols […]
Within striking distance 