This series of extracts are spiritually related material culled from a longer account of travelling the length of Japan, from Wakkanai in the far north to Ibusuki in south Kyushu. The journey took three months in all, and one of … Read the rest
Category: General (Page 2 of 25)
First stop for the loop bus in Tsuruga is Kehi Jingu, the town’s main shrine. As I got off, I noticed something odd, and turning round found myself face-to-face with a large brown owl perched on a coffee sign. For … Read the rest
The street leading to the Tojinbo cliffs is lined with the kind of souvenir shops you often see at famous shrines and temples. At the end is a terrace offering a fine panorama over … Read the rest
This is an extract from a forthcoming book about travel by train the length of Japan. (For Part One click here.) In 1863, after Japan agreed to open up to the West, Emperor Komei in a formal procession to … Read the rest
This is an extract from a forthcoming book about travel by train the length of Japan. (For Part One click here.)The passage considers the historical treatment of animals in Japan. Despite being a so-called nature religion, Shinto has shown … Read the rest
This is Part Five of my journey the length of Japan, from the extreme north of Hokkaido to the southernmost train station in Honshu (Ibusuki). The material is extracted from a longer account to be published in due course. (For … Read the rest
The seaside town of Otaru is just half an hour from Sapporo. It’s said to be exotic – exotic for Japan that is, which … Read the rest