What is Japan’s national stone? Jade. I’ll bet you didn’t know that. In fact, you probably didn’t know such a thing even ...

The onsen resort village in Matsuyama, Shikoku – the smallest of Japan’s four main islands – is touted as the country’s ...

In ancient times, Sakurai in Nara Prefecture was the seat of the imperial court. The Kojiki and the Nihon shoki historical chronicles mentioned soaring Mount Miwa as the dwelling of the deities.

Indignant at his bride, the snake husband disappears into the mountains. The Kojiki contains a similar myth about a beautiful maiden who lives in matrimony with a handsome nighttime visitor.

[The Kojiki, translated by Professor B. H. Chamberlain, page 254.] Now, stones are valued for their beauty; and large stones, selected for their shape, may have an aesthetic worth of hundreds of ...

Sake has a rich history complete with dragons and gods in ancient Japan. Today, the rice wine is still sacred and has UNESCO recognition for its intangible cultural heritage. Explore the rice wine in ...