The Mitsui Miike Coal Mine, whose pitheads were in Omuta City, Fukuoka Prefecture and Arao City, Kumamoto Prefecture, was discovered at the beginning of the 18 th  century.  As it was during the feudal years, the mine operators were three local feudal domains such as the Yanagawa domain, Kurume domain and Miike domain.  The main use of coal at that time was the fuel for salt manufacture, but in accordance with the modernization progress thereafter, the use of it remarkably ch

The bell of Onjoji Buddhist Temple in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, is one of the three major temple bells in Japan.  This bell is the best one in terms of a timbre and two others are of Byodoin Temple in Kyoto City in terms of shape and of Jingoji Temple in Kyoto Prefecture in terms of inscription on a surface.  The first photo shows the bell of Onjoji Temple, which is the second generation.  The first generation, made in the 13 th century, is displayed in a small exhibition

Kyoto, the capital city of Japan from the 8 th to the 19 th  century, quickly declined right after the capital relocation to Tokyo in the 19 th  century.  The population of it nearly halved. As a major countermeasure, the then governor of Kyoto tackled a big public work to build a 20km-long canal to bring water from Lake Biwa to Kyoto.  They planned to utilize the water for the hydropower generation, industries, agriculture and water transport for the locals.  This canal was

Biwako Hotel was built in 1934 in order to accommodate foreign VIPs.  The construction site was blessed with scenic beauty and easy access from Kyoto.  This hotel was one of the fifteen Western-style hotels in major tourist resorts built under the national policy at that time. This was designed by Okada Shinichiro known as the architect of Kabuki-za in Tokyo, Osaka City Central Public Hall, Holly Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo, and the like.  The names of the VIPs over the w

Hikone Castle was built at the beginning of the 17 th  century for the Ii family, one of the four faithful families greatly contributed to Tokugawa Ieyasu to establish the Tokugawa shogunate based in Edo.  At the time of the castle construction, neighboring fifteen daimyos were ordered by Tokugawa shogun to join the work.  The work was a kind of national project, the so-called Tenka Bushin, the same as the construction work of Edo Castle, shogun’s base.  Construction material

Ebisu, generally with a fishing rod in its right hand and sea bream in the left, is a god of a good catch.  *Please refer to the trademark of Yebisu Beer on its bottle or can. Daikokuten, with a mallet of luck in its right hand shouldering a cloth bag of treasure, is a god of a good harvest.  Since the 14 th century, the Seven Lucky Gods, the so-called Shichifukujin, have been worshipped by ordinary people in Japan.  So, Ebisu and Daikokuten, included in the Seven Lucky Gods

This area and its vicinity had prospered in commercial activity since the 9 th  century, because the district is a key junction on the main roads, connecting then capital Kyoto with the major cities in the district along the Sea of Japan, in the mountainous area and along the Pacific Ocean.  There were a variety of markets to exchange those goods in the district.  Some merchants running these markets gradually became influential and they expanded the business area to Kyoto, O

Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, built Edo Castle as his base of government, making the most of the several major rivers near Tokyo as natural moats.  He never built any bridges over them and adopted ferry boats instead for the transportation of people and goods.  Yagiri-no-Watashi dating back to the 16 th  century was one of them.  There were 15 ferry routes just in Edo River systems in the golden age.  Most of the ferry routes were equipped with check points and

There is a nice landscape Japanese garden for strolling around behind the Daikyakuden Guest House of the temple originally built in the 17th century.  This garden, named Suikeien, was built at the beginning of the 20th century then improved in 1965 by Nagayama Rakuzan, a master landscape gardener in Tokyo.  Present-time Suikeien garden was designed by him. The garden, the entire areal of 2,000 square meters, is surrounded by a meandering connecting corridor with a roof but no

Persimmon trees, originally coming from the huge basin of the Yangtze River in China, have long been improved in Japan to harvest sweeter fruits, kaki.  A kaki is recognized as one of a common fruit in Japan like an apple, orange and peach.  It’s typical autumn scenery in Japan that many persimmon trees with kaki fruits are seen here and there in the countryside.  A kaki is not commonly sold at a fruit shop, but is picked off by themselves from the branch of the nearby persim

Yame City, lying in the south of Fukuoka Prefecture, has enjoyed prosperity thanks to the agricultural products from fertile farmland.  About 300 Kofun ancient burial mounds built in the 6 th  century were found in the vicinity. This signifies the presence of a big local force independent from the central government in the present time Nara Prefecture.  Actually, they rose a full-scale rebellion called Iwai-no-Ran against the then Emperor in the ancient time.  In the Edo per

This lift bridge was built for the Saga Line running between Saga Station and Setaka Station in Fukuoka Prefecture.  Because it spans the mouth of the Chikugo River, one of Japan’s largest rivers, the bridge was designed so that its central section could move up and down to avoid obstructing the passage of large ships.  When the Saga Line was abolished in 1987, the authorities were going to dismantle it though, they made the final decision to preserve the bridge as a walkway

The location of this art museum is where Katsushika Hokusai, a towering figure in the world of Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, spent most of his life from the 18 th  to the 19 th century.  Known all over the world by the masterpiece in the second photo, his numerous artworks had a significant influence on the Impressionist painters in Europe.  Such as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Gustave Moreau adopted adventurous perspective for their own basic composition.  Co

Miidera Buddhist Temple and nearby Enryakuji Buddhist Temple came into conflict with each other over the originator of the Tendai sect Buddhism in the first half of the 13 th  century.  Benkei, a strong and combative Buddhist monk of Enryakuji Temple, commanded many monk soldiers to attack Miidera and burnt down most buildings of it. Having to do with this legend, a merchant who sold sweet rice-cake to the visitors appeared in the grounds of the temple advertising that you wo

This bridge was named after the place names of both ends of the bridge, KIYOsumi and nakaSU, at that time.  As a symbolic work of rebuilding and rehabilitation after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, the bridge was constructed together with Eitai Bridge 1 kilometer downstream from here.  It was elaborately designed putting importance on seismic resistance so that it can be durable against future massive quakes.  The steel materials for battleships were chosen for that reaso

According to the history book of the temple, it originated from when the monks built a small temple by a pine tree with graceful branches beside springs.　The springs still exists by the Honden main building of the temple, and the pine tree, 2 meters in trunk circumference and 10 meters high, stands extending branches for about 20 meters in the four cardinal directions. It’s said that the entire view of the pine looks like a dragon as shown in the first photo.  The tree is sup

Shinto festivals are held mainly in spring and autumn in Japan.  These festivals are to pray for a good harvest or to give thanks for the harvest.  Mikoshi is used for these festivals.  It is believed that a Shinto spirit, usually existing in the main building of a Shinto shrine, temporarily moves to a Mikoshi during a festival.  The locals parade through the streets in the neighborhood shouldering a Mikoshi with a Shinto spirit on, to entertain the spirit while spreading div

Lake Biwa, with an area of 669 square kilometers, perimeter of 235 kilometers, maximum depth of 103 meters and water reserves of 28 cubic kilometers, is Japan’s largest lake by a decisive lead.  About 450 rivers and streams flow into the lake from surrounding mountains and hills, and just one river, the Yodo, flows out from the southern tip of the lake.  The Yodo runs for 75 kilometers through Kyoto Prefecture and Osaka City toward Osaka Bay.  About 40 ponds connected with na

Japan produced many kinds of warplanes until the end of the Second World War, though GHQ for the Allied Powers strictly banned it after the war.  GHQ also prohibited aircraft-related study at universities in Japan.  After Japan’s sovereignty was recovered in 1951, a national project for Japan-made passenger airplanes was established.  Many technical experts focusing on warplanes before and during the war were summoned for the project.  YS-11 was the fruit of the project and t

Old Kudan-Kaikan was built by the association of reservists of Japan as a commemorative project for the enthronement of the Emperor...

The historic Matsuda-ya Hotel, established in 1675, stands in Yuda Onsen hot springs in the heart of Yamaguchi City, the prefectural...

Quality ceramic ware like Arita ware and Imari ware has been produced in the vicinity of Karatsu region since the 16 th century.  These...

Emperor Taisho Yoshihito, a great grandfather of present time Emperor Naruhito, was sickly by nature.  Three Imperial villas were built...

The museum, built in 1959, owns a variety of western art collected by Matsukata Kojiro, who was a president of present time Kawasaki...

This temple is said to be established in 807 by a high-ranking priest Kukai, the founder of the Shingon Buddhism, as a temple of the...

Shuzenji Onsen with more than 20 ryokans stands along the both sides of the Shuzenji River for a kilometer as shown in the first photo. ...

Born into a wealthy family running sake brewery and shipping industry in present time Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Kano Jigoro was good...

In accordance with the opening of Yokohama Port to major Western powers in 1859, Yokohama Shinden settlement was built for them on the...

As Numazu City faces Suruga Bay, a high wind from the bay constantly blows against the buildings and cultivated fields particularly near...

The origin of the flea market is said to date back to the second half of the 19th century in Paris. This kind of antique market is...

Known as a special Buddhist temple for the prayers of the successive Tokugawa shoguns through the Edo period, Gokokuji was one of the...

The construction of Tokyo Station was a project of national prestige as the central railroad station for the capital city of Tokyo.  At...

Almost all the buildings in Ginza, the most famous high-end shopping area in Japan, have been rebuilt transforming into a modern and...

According to an Indian legend, Kishibojin originally was an atrocious goddess capturing nearby children to eat.  However, she finally...

The Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA initiated missionary work in the Tsukiji settlement for Westerners in 1859, right after the...

Genkakuji was established in 1624 and was worshipped by the second and third Tokugawa Shoguns.  The image of the Konjak King Enma in...

This building was originally built in 1925 as a sales office building of DNP, one of the largest printing companies in Japan.  Later, it...

This modern Japanese architecture is made up of four buildings of different construction periods, from the Kamino-yu building in 1894,...

This temple dates back to 1415.  Odai-no-kata, who was the mother of Tokugawa Ieyasu (the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate), passed away...

A yakata-bune is equipped with a roof and a tatami-matted floor, where guests can enjoy a Japanese-style banquet while viewing the urban...

Beside the Horikawa River running through the heart of Nagoya, a big timber pond was built in the 17th century for providing quality...

Natsume Soseki, one of the greatest novelists in Japan, published a novel “Botchan” in 1906.  The main character of this novel, whose...

Shimokitazawa had been known as a luxury residential area in the outskirts of Tokyo before the Second World War because of the...

The 10th head of the Mitsui main family, Mitsui Takamine, who was the owner of Mitsui zaibatsu (a group of business conglomerates), built...

Kakegawa area was an important transport hub of the Tokai Region, present time Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie and Gifu Prefectures.  Hence, many...

Through the Edo Period, Japan’s prisons were a facility like a combination of today’s prison and detention center.  Hence, executions and...

This kiridoshi is a part of the old shortcut route across Iwakumayama Hill between two settlements in Yamaga City.  Before the cut was...

Kumamoto Prefecture built a museum on the theme of decorative ancient tombs as the central facility of Higo Kodai-no-Mori open-air museum...

This playhouse with about 700 seats was built in 1910 and was designated as an important cultural property.  Yamaga City, as of the 19th-...

Present time Bancho was the area where many Hatamoto, direct retainers of the Tokugawa shogun, used to live as guards in the case.  The...