Aizu-Wakamatsu which is really worth a trip if you are interested in Japan's history and architecture. In this article let's take a look at four highlights of the city which you can easily enjoy on one day.

The tour had the theme “Life of the Samurai” and included a dinner prepared as in the Sengoku Period and staying overnight at a temple like the samurai used to when traveling to Edo.

Ueda and Sanada are home to one of Japan's most famous samurai clans. For a fascinating historical sightseeing tour in Nagano, come see this spot.

The original Fushimi Castle was completed in 1594 but was destroyed two years later by an earthquake. It was quickly rebuilt, and then under the control of Torii Mototada, a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu, in 1600, the castle fell in a famous and significant siege by Ishida Mitsunari (the commander of the Western Army at the famous Battle of Sekigahara).

Fukushima prefecture is located in Japan's northern Tohoku region. When planning a trip to Fukushima, don't miss out on any of these top things to do and see.

Layered between the civic surface of Tokyo’s landscape lie scores of dedicated shrines and graves dotting the city, each one offering a much more intimate view of the samurai. Home to vengeful spirits, ninja protectors and aristocratic war heroes, here are five resting places of Tokyo’s legendary warriors.

Shimane Prefecture sits on the southwestern portion of Japan's main island, and is the perfect spot to visit if you're looking for an off the beaten path travel experience. Often overlooked by visitors in favor of better known destinations, the region has culture, nature and history by the bucketload – just without the massive crowds to battle!

Manufacture of the katana using traditional methods, along the lines of those practiced by legendary swordsmiths such as Muramasa from the 15th century onwards, is a highly complicated and time consuming process.

Yabusame still stands as a traditional sport, and even a Shinto ceremony.

There are plenty of restorations, but if you want to stand at the castle gate and see the same feudal keep that stood centuries before, you’ll have to make a special trip to one of the twelve. Matsue city, capital of Shimane prefecture, is home to one such castle, built in 1611 by Horio Yoshiharu.

Tons of Flashbacks were triggered haunting my memory in the search for remembering the origin of my familiarity with the word Namamugi. As the train slowly progressed to Tsurumi station, which was my final destination, I struggled hard to get rid of my superstitious misgivings starting with ‘what if in my previous life, Namamugi was…’.

Besides getting to know more about Japan through major cities like Tokyo or Osaka, Japanese culture also can be seen from historical prefectures, such as Ishikawa Prefecture, located in Japan's central Honshu. To visit Kanazawa, capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, is to explore the well-preserved Edo Period districts, samurai culture as well as Japanese handicrafts products and beautiful nature.