Hofu Tenmangu Shrine
Hofu Tenmangu is an impressive shrine that sits atop a hill in Hofu, Yamaguchi. It was the first in Japan to be dedicated to Tenjin, the god of learning. Tenjin…
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The Mohri Residence and Garden
In the middle of Yamaguchi’s southern coastline lies Hofu. The city is one of the prefecture’s most populous and was once home to the lords of the Choshu Domain―the Mohri…
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Exploring Kikko Park
When my colleague heard I would be visiting Iwakuni, she urged me to try the ice cream. There’s hundreds to choose from, she explained, including weird ones, like tomato. And…
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Iwakuni Castle and Ropeway
On the other side of Kintaikyo lies Kikko Park, the grounds of the former residence of the Iwakuni domain lords. The park is home to a number of historical buildings,…
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A Walk Across Kintaikyo
In the west of Yamaguchi prefecture, bordering Hiroshima, is the historical city of Iwakuni. It’s most famous for its arched bridge, which is one of the Nihon Sanmeikyo, or Three…
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Motonosumi Inari Shrine
In case you missed it, I’m back in Japan. And one of the best things about it is getting to catch up with old friends. I recently spent the day…
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In Pictures: The Art Aquarium
Bubble Eye. Pom Pom. Telescope. These are just three of the 25 varieties of goldfish, or kingyo [金魚], that are distributed in Japan today. The ornamental fish have been used as…
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Exploring Wartime Remains on Japan’s Rabbit Island
If any island served as inspiration for ABC’s LOST (aka the best television series of all time) it was surely Ōkunoshima. Featuring a golf course, pylons, old test laboratories and its very…
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The Sacred, Starving Deer of Miyajima
“…so please do not feed the deer,” the announcement played over a loudspeaker as soon as I walked out of the terminal. Wait – what!? There’s deer here? Thanks to…
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Hiroshima’s Peace Park in Black and White
I spent most of my visit to Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park sitting on a bench. This was partly due to the fact that I was supercalifragilisticexpialidociously hungover from the previous night’s festivities; after gatecrashing…
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