Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine (Jinga) Turns 1300
By Vivienne Mackie
KYOTO, JAPAN: On October 8-9-10, 2011, the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine in southeast Kyoto turned 1300 years old. It was a weekend of intense celebrations, made even …

Kyoto Bus Pass
By Vivienne Mackie
Kyoto, Japan, is a large city with many wonderful sights and sites, some at the periphery of the city. There are 2 subway lines, but by far the best way to …

Kan Yasuda in Sapporo, Japan
By Vivienne Mackie
A special exhibit of sculptures by Kan Yasuda, called “Touching the City”, is in Sapporo September 3-November 20, 2011.
Earlier in June he had an exhibition in Turin at Valentino …

The Fun of Halloween is Spreading
By Vivienne Mackie
Japan is a land of contrasts in many ways. For example, modern buildings, bright neon lights flashing, and huge colorful-gaudy ads almost side by side with quiet and …

Hiroshima—a City of Hope?
Text and Photos by Vivienne Mackie
Hiroshima. The name evokes images of a huge mushroom cloud; of destruction, death, dust, rubble; of dead, dying, and dreadfully wounded people.
A few stark remains of the …

Autumn Festivals in Japan
By Vivienne Mackie
Many countries around the world have various autumn and/or harvest festivals, but here I will focus on Japan.
A number of festivals and national holidays fall in the autumn in Japan, …

By Yukari, age 11
Kyoto is a great place to explore the ancient temples and maybe even castles. There are also scrumptious Japanese snacks and candies that you can only get in Japan.If you don’t …

Story by L. Jeanne Davis
When you yearn to leave the crowded streets of Tokyo for a day, Kamakura is a fantastic destination option. In less than one hour, on the JR Yokosuka Line, you …