I spent years eating sushi and burning my nose before realizing I didn’t know much about this spicy little devil. Then I visited the Daio Wasabi Farm in central Nagano. Just a quick trip from the popular castle town of Matsumoto, Daio is a sprawling display of meticulous farming methods and pristine natural resources.
Food & DrinkNagano
Kevin Kato
June 30, 2018
And nowhere, perhaps, are the origins of the country more numerous and varied than along the road known as the Yamanobe-no-michi.
NatureNara
Kevin Kato
July 1, 2017
The quiet, historic town of Shimoda, tucked into the mountains along the southeast coast of Shizuoka’s Izu Peninsula, is best known for its connection to Admiral Perry and his American Black Ships. But while there is no shortage of man-made interest here in this tiny port town, the rugged beauty of the rocky coast is what stands out to many who come.
IslandsSceneryShizuoka
Kevin Kato
January 20, 2016
With a charming and compact downtown area that leads right to the foot of Japan’s oldest surviving castle, Matsumoto is widely regarded as an eminently walkable town.
TraditionTravel GuideNagano
Kevin Kato
July 16, 2015
Crossing over the Metoba River on the way to Matsumoto Castle, first-time visitors to the city are met with a mix of quaint and unusual sights. A stone and cement torii hints at the shrine hiding back among the trees.
CraftsShoppingTraditionNagano
Kevin Kato
June 30, 2015
Biwa Lake boasts a number of superlatives. To the casual observer it is readily apparent that freshwater ‘Biwa-ko’ is the largest lake in Japan. With a surface area of 670.3 km² this lake comprises a full sixth of its home turf, Shiga Prefecture.
ArchitectureSceneryShiga
Kevin Kato
June 18, 2015
Spend a little time in Japan and you are bound to come across a peculiar sort of doll, a red and round human-ish creature with no arms or legs. He may or may not have eyes. He sports some pretty fancy facial hair. If you knock him over he’ll bounce back upright. And if you are lucky, he’ll grant your greatest wish.
CraftsTraditionAll Japan
Kevin Kato
June 4, 2015
As you wander the towns and villages of Japan’s Kanto Region, and particularly in Shinshu (Nagano), you might occasionally come upon some peculiar stones carved with seemingly content men and women getting rather cuddly with each other.
HeritageTraditionKantoNagano
Kevin Kato
May 27, 2015
Just like the rest of Japan, Kōbō-yama (弘法山) comes alive in Spring with the ephemeral beauty of the famed cherry blossoms. And while many other places around Japan are far more well-known for their own annual flowery display, Kōbō-yama puts on a show worth seeing.
MountainsParksTraditionNagano
Kevin Kato
April 21, 2015
Tazawa Lake in Akita Prefecture is a near-perfect circle – and a perfect representation of Akita itself: unassuming, unspoiled and sublimely spectacular.
NatureSceneryAkita
Kevin Kato
April 10, 2015
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