Images of Nikko, Niigata, Sado Island and Naha. March 2024. “Nikkō is a city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Shōdō Shōnin established the temple of Rinnō-ji in 766, followed by the temple of Chūzen-ji in 784. The village of Nikkō developed around these temples. The shrine of Nikkō Tōshō-gū was completed in 1617 and became a […]
Images of Yokohama and Nagano. January and February 2024. “Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and by area, and the country’s most populous municipality. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main […]
Images of Ise, Okayama and Fukuyama. November and December 2023. “Ise, formerly called Ujiyamada, is a city in central Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan. Ise is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shintō shrine in Japan. “Okayama is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. […]
Images of Osaka, Wakayama, Himeji and Nara. October and November 2023. “Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan, and one of the three major cities of Japan. Osaka means ‘large hill’ or ‘large slope’. It is unclear when this name gained prominence over Naniwa [the old name of the […]
Images of Arashiyama, Nagoya, Otsu, Sendai, Sapporo, Wakkanai and Nemuro. March and April 2023. “Arashiyama is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto.” It is famous for its bamboo grove. “Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan. “Ōtsu is located […]
Images of Fukuoka, Kyoto and Tottori. February 2023. “Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a centre of international commerce since ancient times. “Kyoto is the capital city of […]
Images of Osaka, Kobe and Takamatsu. January 2023. “Osaka had a population of 2.7 million in the 2020 census, it is also the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, which is the second-largest metropolitan area in Japan. Osaka means ‘large hill’ or ‘large slope’. It is unclear when this name gained prominence over Naniwa, […]
Images of Tokyo. November and December 2022. “Tokyo is the capital and most populous city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area (13,452 square kilometres or 5,194 square miles) is the most populous in the world. Tokyo serves as Japan’s economic centre and is the seat of both the Japanese government and the […]
Images of Tokyo. August 2019. “Tokyo forms part of the Kantō region on the southeastern side of Japan’s main island, Honshu. “Originally a small fishing village named Edo, the city became a prominent political centre of Japan when Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters in 1603. When Emperor Meiji moved the imperial seat […]
The recent tensions between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands (or Diaoyu Islands) show that both countries are still unable to overcome past hostilities or suspicions. Nine years ago I wrote this piece for an American publication, as at that time I was living in China (2003-2006) and was able to offer a perspective […]