Alyson currently lives in Yokohama where she works in an international school. She uses weekends to go out and explore the local area, and holiday to explore further afield in Japan. She has had articles and short stories published online and in magazines in the UK. The chance to combine travel and writing for this site was one she couldn’t miss.
The Red Brick warehouses are an important Yokohama landmark, a popular meeting place and a favourite tourist attraction. Have you been there? If not, try going there this season when the brightly lit Yokohama Bay area will make you feel special.
Ryugashi-Do is an hour’s bus ride from Hamamatsu. It was opened to the public in 1983, after explorers widened the cracks in the limestone to allow access and cleared away rubble. The length of the cave is about 1000 metres but only around 400 metres are developed and accessible to tourists. The stalagmites and stalactites at Ryugashido have been given whimsical names and are artfully lit so they appear resemble real things.
Red and pink poppies swayed gently in the breeze for as far as I could see. The bright crimson against the brilliant green stems and leaves were a stunning sight. This alone made the visit worthwhile.
There are several reasons to visit the town of Inuyama in Aichi prefecture: the castle designated as the National Treasure, the Urakuen with its National Treasure teahouse and the nearby museum or theme parks like Meiji Mura and Little World. But for me the best reason to visit Inuyama, is to witness the Ukai fishing, a traditional fishing method using cormorants that apparently dates back some 1300 years.
The botanical garden at Hamamatsu is primarily for flowers and plant-viewing, but the garden management authorities have endeavoured to recreate the gardens into a haven for visitors with some quirky plant-displays, a play area, entertainment and restaurants — all designed to appeal to families and groups. This makes it an interesting day out for people of all ages.
When Japan opened up to America and Europe after the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854, Yokohama became a gateway for the introduction of new technologies and Western culture. Items such as ice cream, games such as tennis, and expertise in areas such photography all made their first appearance in Yokohama.
For an insightful look at the opening of the port of Yokohama to foreign trade and the beginning of the city’s development you need to look no further than the Yokohama Archives of History.
We visited the old Japanese town, east of Narita, where many of the merchant buildings and warehouses have been preserved as they were during the Edo period some 100 or 200 years ago. Wooden shops with decorated tiled roofs and storehouses lined with earthen walls to protect goods from fires border the streets.
If you are tired of museums and other visitor attractions in Hakone and fancy a day in the outdoors, a walk along the old Tokaido highway won’t disappoint.
Shosenkyo Gorge near Kofu in Yamanashi Prefecture must be one of the most spectacular leaf viewing spots in Japan.
“Hakone Sekisho, known for its strictness, was primarily responsible for keeping women from escaping from Edo.” This phrase appears in the brochure you are given when buying a ticket for Hakone Sekisho, a restored checkpoint of the old Edo highway, which ran between Tokyo and Kyoto.
A place to escape the heat of the city or a chance to walk through some pleasant scenery, the Kawazu Seven Waterfalls makes a memorable trip. Although a distance from Tokyo they are an easy side trip during a stay on the Izu Peninsula.
