Category: Asia

 

Asia is a huge continent with diverse geography and an even greater diversity of cultures. This is where I share my stories and photos from all my travel experiences throughout Asia.

Indulging My Obsession With Japanese Temari Balls

I discovered the unique art of Temari balls in Japan and collected a variety of examples throughout my recent trip.

I am walking uphill in one of Tokyo’s residential suburbs. It’s my last day of a six week sojourn around Japan, and I am as far as I can get from the Tokyo hotspots of Shibuya and Shinjuku and still be within the greater Tokyo Metropolitan area.

I am looking for a very specialized museum, well off the typical tourist beaten path, but despite walking up and down the sidewalk, I don’t see it. My Google maps app has reliably brought me to the appropriate subway station, but now it says that my goal should be right here. Yet it continues to elude me.

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Off the Beaten Path in Japan – My Journey in Photos

These are some of my favorite photos that capture the essence of the many different Japanese locations I visited this past summer.

Tori gates are a classic symbol of Japan. These Tori gates snaked up the mountainside at the Takayama Inari Shrine. Though smaller and less visited than the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, I thought it was much more serene and beautiful.

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How An Origami Paper Crane Became a Symbol for Peace – The Story of the Hiroshima Children’s Peace Monument

For me, the most moving monument at the HIroshima Peace Park was the Children’s Peace Monument with its statue of Sadako Sasaki holding an origami crane. I am sharing Sadako’s story and how her paper cranes became a symbol for peace.

 

This is our cry;

This is our prayer;

For building peace in this world

These were the words that greeted me at the Children’s Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park. On August 6, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Three days later, a second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. After the second bombing, Japan surrendered and the World War II conflict in the Pacific was over.

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A Heritage Expeditions Review – Cruising in Style on the Heritage Adventurer

In this Heritage Expeditions Review I share all my expereinces cruising around Japan on the beautiful Heritage Adventurer expedition ship.

I love cruising, especially small ship cruising. I also love Japan – it’s one of my favorite travel destinations. So, a cruise on the Heritage Adventurer expedition ship that took me to some of Japan’s less visited sights was a dream come true.

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Experience the Kyoto Shibori Museum – Keeping an Ancient Artistic Tradition Alive

On two of my visits to Kyoto, I took a traditional fabric dyeing class at the Kyoto Shibori Museum which preserves and promotes the old traditions for producing decorative Japanese textiles.

The Kyoto Shibori Museum preserves and promotes a disappearing tradition for producing decorative Japanese textiles. On my two visits to the museum, I learned that the Japanese art of shibori fabric dyeing is to tie dying like Leonardo da Vince’s Mona Lisa is to a paint by number canvas – it’s a whole different world of artistry.

I tried a couple of the museum’s shibori dyeing classes where I learned all about this ancient Japanese technique and also went home with a beautiful handmade souvenir. Continue reading “Experience the Kyoto Shibori Museum – Keeping an Ancient Artistic Tradition Alive”

Exploring Japan’s Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park From Tokyo – A Look in the Mirror

Getting to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park from Tokyo was an easy day trip that I did on my own during my winter visit to Japan.

Ever since I watched the PBS Nature episode about Japanese snow monkeys, I hoped that one day I might be able to see them in person. When I had the chance to visit Japan in winter with my husband, we took the opportunity to do a day trip to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park from Tokyo.

The experience with the snow monkeys was as engaging and entertaining as anything I could have wished for. In many ways, it was like looking in a mirror.

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A Day Trip From Tokyo For a Mount Mitake Hike – Where Nature and Religion Meet

Mount Mitake National Park is not far from the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo, but with its peaceful setting, it feels a world away. I enjoyed a Tokyo day trip for a Mount Mitake hike and discovered that in Japan nature and religion come together on top of a mountain.

Mount Mitake in  Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park was a green and peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of nearby Tokyo. Only 90 minutes away, it was easily accessible and provided a non touristy cultural experience as I hiked with the locals past shrines, waterfalls, and a natural moss covered rock garden.

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A Visit to Japan’s Most Sacred Island – One Day In Miyajima

I’ve been to Miyajima, Japan twice in the last few years and am sharing my experiences on how I spent one day in Miyajima.

Miyajima, Japan is most famous for the photos of its floating torii gate. But this lovely little island offers up lots of gorgeous scenery, both man made and natural. I visited Miyajima twice on recent trips to Japan and this is how I spent my day on Miyajima exploring its photogenic treasures.

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