Mount Yoshino offers splendid views of cherry blossoms during spring. It is one of the most popular hanami 花見 (flower viewing) spots in Japan. In April 2016, on a lovely sunny day I went on a solo hike to mount Yoshino to experience senbonzakura 千本桜 (thousands of cherry trees). Although I kept a regular track […]
Nara
The Four Seasons of Wakakusayama
Nara, the ancient capital of Japan is best known for its temples more than anything else. Most visitors come here to pay homage to the great 大仏 daibutsu (Buddha) of Todai-ji and have fun at Nara deer park. If you wish to move away from the crowd and experience Nara’s wild beauty, you should hike […]
Seven Great Temples of Nara
南都七大寺 Nantoshichidaiji is the name given to a group of seven temples in Nara. 南都 Nanto means the southern capital. Nara was Japan’s ancient capital from 710 t0 794 CE. During this period, Buddhism flourished in Japan and gradually gained devotees. During the Nara period, many Buddhist temples were built in the capital which received imperial patronage. Among these, […]
How I travelled the 47 prefectures of Japan in less than a year
Call it a spree or a frenzy, I had to see all of Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Ever since I stepped into the enchanting world of Japanese animation, all I wanted was to see Japan with my own eyes. To me, Japan is and has always been the fantasy land where all my favourite […]
Plum blossom in Japan
Spring has arrived. One thing that is deeply associated with spring in Japan is the cherry blossom festival or ‘hanami’ (the flower viewing festival). Cherry blossom or ‘sakura’ usually start blooming by the end of March and get to peak blooming by mid of April. In Touhoku region and Hokkaido sakura appear much later. Check […]
An imagination painted by nature
When autumn bade farewell, the wind kissed those last red leaves…..
Going back in time | Totsukawa and Kumano
Little did I know that Japan could be infused with deep spirituality and devotion. The land of manga, robots and bullet trains also has a religious side to it, with hundreds of temples and shrines all across the nation. Amid political and civil tensions in medieval Japan, the introduction and spread of esoteric Buddhism, Taoism and […]