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Month: June 2023

donuts
CategoriesAccessible tourism Others

10th Donut Donation Day for the Japan Braille Library

By ninjakotan

3rd donation to Japan Braille Library Table of Contents 1: 3rd donation to Japan Braille Library 2: Donut Donation Day 3: Keep supporting the Donuts Donation campaign   1: 3rd donation to Japan Braille Library We made our third donation to the Japan Braille Library through our donut donation campaign. Thank you to all the travelers for eating the donuts during their trip to Japan. After the donation, we received the following letter from the Japan Braille Library. “We are deeply grateful for your thoughtful assistance. Your support is more than invaluable to the work of our museum. We will continue our efforts to bring the joy of reading to the visually impaired.” Note: This photo shows the letter we received last time. 2: Donut Donation Day Again, we would like to explain Donut Donation. Donut Donation is a unique initiative in which we ask our email subscribers to eat a donut, and we donate the same amount of the donation to the Japan Braille Library. We started Donut Donations on 30 March, with days with a zero (the 10th, 20th, and 30th) as Donut Donation days. Today is the tenth Donut Donation Day. For every 1,000 yen worth ofread more10th Donut Donation Day for the Japan Braille Library

JR Tadami line
CategoriesItinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan

Local trains in Fukushima 2 (JR Tadami Line, JR Ban-etsu West Line)

By ninjakotan

Local trains in Fukushima 2 (JR Tadami Line, JR Ban-etsu West Line) Table of Contents 1: Abukuma Express 2: Fukushima Transportation Iizaka Line 3: Iizaka Onsen 4: Symposium on Living with Railways 5: JR Ban-etsu West Line 6: Dinner on Day 1 7: JR Tadami Line 8: Hayato Onsen “Tsuru no Yu” 9: Tsurugajo castle 10: Sazae-do 11: Dinner on Day 2 7: JR Tadami Line On the morning of the second day, I rode the JR Tadami Line, which had been the main theme of the previous day’s “Symposium on Living with Railways.” The Tadami Line is a JR East line connecting Aizu-Wakamatsu Station to Koide Station in Niigata Prefecture. In October 2022, the entire line was restored for the first time since the torrential rain disaster. Since then, many tourists have been traveling on the Tadami Line, and on weekends and holidays, the line can become as crowded as the Yamanote Line in Tokyo. I went to the Aizu-Wakamatsu station earlier than the departure time of the Tadami line. But the train was not crowded, and I was disappointed. Because both the owner of “Mugitoro (The restaurant for my last dinner)” of the previous day and the participantsread moreLocal trains in Fukushima 2 (JR Tadami Line, JR Ban-etsu West Line)

iizaka line
CategoriesAccessible tourism Itinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan

Local trains in Fukushima 1 (Abukuma Express, Fukushima Transportation Iizaka Line)

By ninjakotan

Local trains in Fukushima 1 (Abukuma Express, Fukushima Transportation Iizaka Line) Table of Contents 1: Abukuma Express 2: Fukushima Transportation Iizaka Line 3: Iizaka Onsen 4: Symposium on Living with Railways 5: JR Ban-etsu West Line 6: Dinner on Day 1 7: JR Tadami Line 8: Hayato Onsen “Tsuru no Yu” 9: Tsurugajo castle 10: Sazae-do 11: Dinner on Day 2 1: Abukuma Express In late May, I made a study trip to Fukushima Prefecture. The main purpose was to attend the Symposium on Living with Railways, organized by Fukushima Minpo, to consider the state of local railways. I took the Shinkansen from Ueno Station to Fukushima Station early in the morning. Most JR East’s Shinkansen trains, including the Tohoku Shinkansen and Joetsu Shinkansen, stop at Ueno Station. Ueno Station is the only underground stop on the Shinkansen in Japan, so it is refreshing to use Ueno Station on the Shinkansen sometimes. I bought the ‘Mankatsu Sandwich Panda Package’ version at Ueno Station and had it for breakfast on the Shinkansen to Fukushima Station. The ‘Panda Package’ is sold exclusively at shops in the Ueno Zoo and Ueno Station. I drank Gassata, a carbonated coffee, with the Katsu Sandwich. Itread moreLocal trains in Fukushima 1 (Abukuma Express, Fukushima Transportation Iizaka Line)

Cat
CategoriesItinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan

Local trains in Wakayama Prefecture (Wakayama Electric Railway)

By ninjakotan

Local trains in Wakayama Prefecture (Wakayama Electric Railway)   Table of contents 1: Wakayama Castle 2: Chohoji Temple 3: Ide Shoten 4: Wakayama Electric Railway 5: Itakiso Shrine 6: Nichizengu Shrine 7: Dinner 1: Wakayama Castle I traveled to Wakayama in late May. My first stop was Wakayama Castle. Wakayama Castle was built in 1585 by Toyotomi Hidenaga, the younger brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. At the time of construction, Hidenaga’s vassal, Todo Takatora, served in charge of the building. Takatora Todo was a master castle builder who built many castles, including Edo Castle, Uwajima Castle (12 existing castle towers), and Imabari Castle. Wakayama Castle was the residence of the Kishu Tokugawa family, one of the three Tokugawa families. After the Meiji Restoration (1871), the castle tower and other buildings were maintained and designated national treasures when the castle was closed down. However, the castle tower and all other buildings designated as national treasures were destroyed by fire in the Wakayama Air Raid of 1945. The current keep was reconstructed externally in reinforced concrete in 1958. Wakayama Castle has a large castle tower, a small castle tower, and turrets arranged on four sides and connected by a series of turrets (renritsu-shiki).read moreLocal trains in Wakayama Prefecture (Wakayama Electric Railway)

Hitachi station
CategoriesItinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan

Local trains in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo) (2)

By ninjakotan

Local trains in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo) (2)   Table of contents 1: Naritasan Shinshoji Temple 2: Katori Jingu Shrine 3: Kashima Jingu Shrine 4: Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo 5: Hitachi Station, Mito Station   4: Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo After visiting Kashima Jingu Shrine, the train took the Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo to Mito Station. Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo is one of three regional railway operators headquartered in Ibaraki Prefecture (the other two are Kanto Railway and Hitachinaka Kaihin Railway). The operating distance of Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo is 53.0 km from Kashima Jingu Station to Mito Station. The standard journey time is just over one hour, but depending on the time of day, it may take just over one hour and 20 minutes. The fare from the journey’s start to end is 1,590 yen. Kashima Waterfront Railway started as a freight line to transport raw materials and other goods to the Kashima Waterfront Industrial Zone and is characterized by the fact that in FY2021, the proportion of revenue from passenger transport was 49%. In comparison, the balance of revenue from freight transport was still significant at 30%. In FY2021, the railway accounted for 92% of revenues, and the company still needs toread moreLocal trains in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo) (2)

Tsuruoka
CategoriesItinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan local cuisine vegan

Do you know which city has the best food in Japan?

By ninjakotan

Do you know which city has the best food in Japan? 18 June is Sustainable Gastronomy Day. Today, I would like to introduce you to Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture, the only city in Japan to be recognized as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. It means that Tsuruoka City is the best food city in Japan. The food is delicious, and the city offers many attractive tourist attractions. Please consider a trip to Tsuruoka City on your next trip to Japan. Tsuruoka City in Yamagata Prefecture has many food, including rice, vegetables, edible wild plants, mushrooms from the Shonai Plain and many mountains, and seafood from the Sea of Japan. The city has a unique food culture, including developing vegetarian cuisine by monks practicing asceticism on the three mountains of Dewa and more than 60 varieties of conventional crops. Some of the ‘conventional crops’ are famous throughout Japan, such as ‘Moso-dake,’ a brand of bamboo shoots, and ‘Dadacha mame,’ a brand of edamame (green soybeans). I love the city of Tsuruoka and have visited several times. As a tourist attraction, I recommend the five-story pagoda at Mount Hagurosan, which is a national treasure. The five-story pagoda was built aboutread moreDo you know which city has the best food in Japan?

Katori jingu shrine
CategoriesItinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan

Local trains in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo) (1)

By ninjakotan

Local trains in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo) (1) Table of contents 1: Naritasan Shinshoji Temple 2: Katori Jingu Shrine 3: Kashima Jingu Shrine 4: Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo 5: Hitachi Station, Mito Station   1: Naritasan Shinshoji Temple I visited shrines and temples in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures in late April. I took the Kashima Rinkai Railway to Hitachi Station. If you leave Tokyo early in the morning, a day trip is well worth the effort. First, I went to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is popular with foreign tourists because of its proximity to Narita Airport. I saw several foreign tourists on the day I visited. Shinshoji Temple boasts many worshippers, with the number of Hatsumode visitors ranking second in Japan after Meiji Jingu Shrine. However, when I visited early in the morning (after 8 am), there were hardly any worshippers, and I could see the temple at leisure. The precincts of Shinshoji Temple are extensive and vary in height. The temple has a theme park atmosphere due to the various monasteries. I could understand why it attracts so many worshippers, including foreign tourists. The temple grounds are accessible to visitors in wheelchairs, as lifts are installed throughoutread moreLocal trains in Ibaraki Prefecture (Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo) (1)

Kangiin Shotendo
CategoriesItinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan

Local trains in Saitama Prefecture (Chichibu Railway) (2)

By ninjakotan

Local trains in Saitama Prefecture (Chichibu Railway) (2)   Table of Contents 1: Seibu Railway’s express train La View to Chichibu 2: Shiba-sakura hill (Hitsujiyama Park), Mitsumine Shrine 3: Chichibu Railway to Kumagaya 4: Kangiin Shotendo (Menuma Shodenzan Temple) 5: “Yakitori” in Higashi-Matsuyama   4: Kangiin Shotendo (Menuma Shodenzan Temple) Arriving at Kumagaya Station, I took a bus to Kangiin Temple. The common name of Kangiin is Menuma Shodenzan. The Kangiin Seidendo (main hall) is the only national treasure building in Saitama Prefecture. It is considered one of Japan’s three holy temples. Kangiin Temple was founded in 1179 by Saito Sanemori, who built the Shoten Shrine to enshrine his guardian deity, the Great Kangiten. Kangiin Temple was visited by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, rebuilt it. Saito Sanemori was a military commander based in Nagai-sho (Menuma, Kumagaya) on the Heike side, who became famous during the Genpei wars. Sanemori is also portrayed in theatre, such as Kabuki and Noh plays. The current ‘Kangiin Shodendo’ was rebuilt in 1760 after being burnt down in 1670. It is known as ‘Saitama Nikko’ due to its decorative architecture,read moreLocal trains in Saitama Prefecture (Chichibu Railway) (2)

Mitsumine Shrine
CategoriesItinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan

Local trains in Saitama Prefecture (Chichibu Railway) (1)

By ninjakotan

Local trains in Saitama Prefecture (Chichibu Railway) (1) Table of Contents 1: Seibu Railway’s express train La View to Chichibu 2: Shiba-sakura hill (Hitsujiyama Park), Mitsumine Shrine 3: Chichibu Railway to Kumagaya 4: Kangiin Shotendo (Menuma Shodenzan Temple) 5: “Yakitori” in Higashi-matsuyama   1: Seibu Railway’s express train La View to Chichibu In late April, I went on a one-day trip to Chichibu and Kumagaya. First, I headed to Chichibu from Seibu Ikebukuro Station on the Seibu Railway’s La View express train. The La View is a beautiful express train with lemon yellow seats that give a vivid impression and huge windows that provide a sense of spaciousness. It began service in March 2019 as Seibu Railway’s ‘flagship train for the future.’ The design of the La View Express train was supervised by the world-renowned architect Kazuyo Sejima. Kazuyo Sejima is one of my favorite architects, having won the Pritzker Prize, also known as the ‘Nobel Prize for Architecture.’ Her impressive architectural designs include the Hitachi Station and the Sumida Hokusai Museum.   2: Shiba-sakura hill (Hitsujiyama Park), Mitsumine Shrine Arriving at Seibu-Chichibu Station, I went to Shibazakura Hill (Hitsuyama Park), a 20-minute walk away. The moss phlox were inread moreLocal trains in Saitama Prefecture (Chichibu Railway) (1)

Sushi
CategoriesItinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan

Four local trains in Shizuoka Prefecture (Enshu, TenHama and Shizuoka Railway)

By ninjakotan

Four local railways in Shizuoka Prefecture (Enshu, TenHama and Shizuoka Railway)   Table of Contents 1: Enshu Railway 2: Tenryu Hamanako Railroad 3: Shizuoka Railway 4: Tuna bowl, Miho-no-Matsubara, Kuno-zan Tosho-gu Shrine 5: Craft beer, Yamasho   1: Enshu Railway On the second day’s morning, I took the Enshu Railway from Shin-Hamamatsu Station to Nishi-Kashima Station. Compared to Oigawa Railway, Enshu Railway is an urban regional railway running through a residential area in Hamamatsu City, so it is not possible to enjoy the scenery of nature. It was crowded during commuting hours. Enshu Railway’s consolidated sales were JPY 292.4 billion in FY2020, ranking it first among regional railway operators (95 in Japan as a whole). However, the railway business accounts for only 3.9% of sales, or JPY 11.5 billion. The group has more significant sales with non-railway businesses, such as real estate and department store operations. Enshu Railway’s trains are painted red. Hence the nickname ‘Akaden,’ and the company also runs wrapped trains to commemorate the NHK historical drama “Dou suru Ieyasu” broadcast in 2023 and ‘Evangelion wrapped trains.’ A wrapped train is a  train covered in wrap advertising. 2: Tenryu Hamanako Railroad Tenryu Hamanako Railroad has the longest operatingread moreFour local trains in Shizuoka Prefecture (Enshu, TenHama and Shizuoka Railway)

Oigawa railways
CategoriesItinerary Ideas itinerary in Japan local cuisine

Four local trains in Shizuoka Prefecture (Oigawa Railway)

By ninjakotan

Four local railways in Shizuoka Prefecture (Oigawa Railway) Table of Contents 1: Introduction 2: Oigawa Railway 3: Horai Bridge 4: Hamamatsu Gourmet 1: Introduction I spent two days and one night in April on four regional railways in Shizuoka Prefecture. There are seven regional railway operators in Shizuoka Prefecture (95 in Japan as a whole), seven being the largest number in the country by prefecture. In order of operating distance, these are Tenryu Hamanako Railway (67.7 km), Oigawa Railway (65.0 km), Izu Kyuko (45.7 km), Izu Hakone Railway (29.4 km), Enshu Railway (17.8 km), Shizuoka Railway (11.0 km) and Gakunan Railway (9.2 km). On the second day, I planned to take Gakunan Tramway, which has the catchphrase ‘the railway from which you can see Mount Fuji from every station.’ I gave up this time because clouds prevented me from seeing Mount Fuji. 2: Oigawa Railway The first train I boarded was the Oigawa Railway. We left Tokyo early in the morning and boarded the 8:48 train from Kanaya Station, a retro train built in 1958 for express and limited express service on the Nankai Koya Line. Just getting on this train would be exciting for railway fans. The seats wereread moreFour local trains in Shizuoka Prefecture (Oigawa Railway)

local railway
CategoriesAccessible tourism

Will it be impossible for travelers to visit local Japan in 10 years? (4)

By ninjakotan

Will it be impossible for travelers to visit local Japan in 10 years? (4)   Table of Contents 1: Correlation between accessible railway stations and the number of overnight stays 2: Making accessible railway stations after increasing the number of travelers 3: Reasons why foreign travelers do not travel to local areas 4: Positive impacts of using regional railways by foreign travelers   1: Correlation between accessible railway stations and the number of overnight stays There is a high correlation between the rate of steps eliminated at railway stations and rail travel. In prefectures where the rate of steps eliminated at railway stations is low, the share of rail travel is also low. In contrast, the share of rail travel is high when the rate of steps eliminated at railway stations is high. There is also a relationship whereby the share of overnight stays (the share of overnight visitors traveling for tourism purposes by prefecture, 2019) is lower when the rate of steps eliminated at railway stations is low.   Rate of steps eliminated at stations by prefecture and share of the number of overnight stays by prefecture SOURCE: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan Tourism Agency  read moreWill it be impossible for travelers to visit local Japan in 10 years? (4)