Contrary to many seated Buddha statues, the Ushiku Buddha statue stands at a marvelous height of 120 metres, with a 10 metres base and 10 metres lotus platform. What you see in pictures are nothing compared to what meets the naked eye.

Well now it’s autumn and Tokyo is no less mesmerizing with trees that leaves start to turn yellow before finally falling during winter. It may be hard to imagine but I found a lovely spot to enjoy the autumn at The University of Tokyo and it’s one of my favorites!

To aid in that ever-essential de-stressing, there are a ton of campsites in Japan that maximize both comfort and convenience for those looking to enjoy nature without roughing themselves up too much. With that in mind, here are the top 5 reasons to go camping in Japan.

In this article, I would like to introduce some nice spots in the Okutama region in western Tokyo and give an example how you could organize a day trip.

Named after the Japanese musical instrument the Biwa because of its shape, the 259 square miles' body of water located in the Shiga prefecture is the home of many freshwater fish and supports the pearl industry. But what visitors soon discover is that on the western side of the lake there is a strip of land that meets all the requirements of a natural beach.

The temple was built in AD 686 and is positioned near the top of a mountain. There is a covered stairway leading up that’s strewn with flowers and lined with stone lanterns.

A few rather popular activities here in Japan during summer are hiking, beach surfing and picnics. I present a summer’s day in Zushi, Kanagawa, consisting of a relaxing and scenic hike at Mount Takatori (with different start and end points), finished off with a stroll in the beach.

Akita Inu are big, affectionate, hardy companions that helped people for over 1000 years in many different ways. In these times especially, at least for me, playing with an Akita Inu helped alleviate a lot of stress.

Toba is a coastal city in the prefecture of Mie, located approximately two and a half hours from Osaka. It has a population south of 20,000, and an area of 107.3 km² so it’s less than half the size of Osaka with a fraction of the people, but it does have that Japanese seaside charm.

Sado is a peaceful island situated off the coast of Niigata Prefecture. It is accessible by ferries running every hour or so between Niigata and Ryotsu Ports. If you are not worried about missing the only ferry of the day, you can also jump on in Naoetsu and get off in the little town of Ogi.

If you happen to be in Hiroshima City for visiting the Peace Memorial or shopping at Hondori, there are four perfect hiking trails to unwind yourself and stride your way to the mountain top from where you can check out the city view or nearby islands. Pack your bags, water and wear your boots, let’s go visit these spots as locals do.

On any given day, the banks of the Kamogawa are flourishing with activity, and depending on the season, you’ll find a variety of people walking dogs or cycling.