Crossrhodes Kumano Journeys

03/12/2024

Although the Kumano Kodo is traditionally a walking pilgrimage with over a 1,000 years of history, visiting to the key points by rental car is possible to help you understand more deeply the area and its history.

Explore the Kumano region of Wakayama Prefecture by car. 🎥⬇️
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/3025120?cid=wohk-fb-org_vod_/302512_dps-202411-001

Hit the Road
WAKAYAMA

27/11/2024

Images from recent visit to the ethereal Doro Hotel in the Kii Peninsula.
Popular now on instagram as a nostalgic cafe but future promise as a river experience and local heritage excursion.

04/11/2024

Useful travel-in-Japan apps in this article. (I use Japan Transit Planner and Google Maps, but always good to have a few free transit info options in your arsenal.

Need to get somewhere by train? Want to know information about stations, delays and more? We’ve got you covered with the best train apps in Japan.

https://blog.gaijinpot.com/10-best-train-apps-in-japan/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=dlvr.it

01/11/2024

Come on, what’s your sign?
A rose by any other name … would still have a family crest?

Japanese family crests known as kamon were first used by the aristocracy over a thousand years ago, but over time they were adopted by samurai, merchants, and many others. Today, there are thought to be between 20,000 and 25,000 in use.

06/10/2024

Knowing about boundaries and portals is very important in Japan.

The genkan entryway marks the boundary between a Japanese home and the outside world, and removing footwear before going in has its own form of etiquette.

29/09/2024

Wow! Congrats Sado! Welcome to the club!
The Kumano Kodo is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a UNESCO
World Heritage cultural asset.
Can anyone guess what number Japanese heritage site they are?

Former gold mines, which operated for four centuries on the island of Sado, are the latest addition to Japan’s UNESCO World Heritage sites.

26/09/2024

Recognizing ambassadors who support the Dual Pilgimages in Spain and Japan.

07/09/2024

It’s typhoon season, folks. And while one is not currently in the vicinity, this is an extremely helpful article about understanding what they are, how to prepare for one if living in Japan, as well as what to do if one comes while in Japan as a tourist.

Japan is home to several types of natural disasters, including earthquakes, typhoon and flooding. The typhoon season lasts from May...

https://blog.gaijinpot.com/what-to-do-during-a-typhoon-in-japan/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=dlvr.it

03/09/2024

Changes for those entering Japan in the years ahead.

Japan will introduce JESTA, a new tourist entry system, adding pre-screening requirements for visitors from many visa-exempt countries.

https://blog.gaijinpot.com/japans-new-entry-system-for-tourists-jesta-what-you-need-to-know/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=dlvr.it

11/08/2024

The chips are in!
Making of these cards by JR East Japan was suspended due to the limited availability of materials to make the chips for the cards.
Sales to resume soon.

If you’re traveling in Japan, one of the most useful things you can get yourself is a Suica card. Originally introduced as a prepaid card for using East Japan Railway Company/JR East trains, Suica has grown to be Japan’s most prevalent electronics payment method, accepted at a huge variety of ve...

11/08/2024

We have put some emergency provisions together just in case, but life goes on here on the Kii Peninsula as normal (except the beaches are closed and express trains aren’t running — but I have a car, and the local buses are spot on).

Following its first issuance of a megaquake advisory called the Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information, the Japan Meteorological Agency has been monitoring seismic activities in the assumed focal region of the quake attentively.

10/08/2024

More about the Bon holiday this week.

As people return to their hometowns to pay their respects to their ancestors, children may try to test their nerves with a 'kimodameshi.'

10/08/2024

Tourist spots have been hit by unexpected cancellations of accommodation bookings and beach closures ahead of the peak summer holiday season following Thursday’s issuance of Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information with the keyword Megathrust Earthquake Attention.

20/07/2024

This is a wonderful local intangible heritage being handed down.
I was fortunate to purchase my first couple hats directly from Mr. Shiba (when he was about the ripe age of 92, but still very alert, working every day at the workshop in his house). I had visited him to write a story for the ANA in-flight magazine, and each time I came back he was friendly and remembered me, always digging a photo out we had taken together.

The minachi-gasa are made with hinoki cypress wood which expands when it’s wet (to keep the rain off your head) and shrinks in the heat (creating ventilation for the inside of the hat).

Shiba-san is the last in a village of hundreds that made these hats and other goods like woven vases. The village and its artisans are said to be descendants of fleeing members of a clan that lost a civil war in the 12th century, hiding away in the mountainside, sharing their craft and knowledge.

But, kudos for locals who are hoping to carry on this local intangible living cultural asset.

TANABE, Wakayama — A craftsman new to the trade of making traditional hats typically worn by pilgrims of the historic Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes has become the heir to the ancient craft.

04/07/2024

I love these stories. Many of the foundation myths if Japan are deeply rooted here in the Kumano area. I think my favorite ones have to do with luring Amaterasu no Okami, the sun goddess, out of her exile in the cave.

The myriad of Japanese kami run the gamut from heavenly and earthly deities of myth and legend to deified historical figures. An expert on mythology introduces the different types of gods that make up the Japanese pantheon.

03/07/2024

Hi-ho! A hiking we must go!

We all have that friend that drags us on a hike—and it's more to your benefit than you might think. 🥾

If you're participating in the popular recreational activity this summer, chances are you're getting a lot more out of the experience than quality family time, beautiful vistas, and a breath of fresh air.

Hiking provides a host of mental and physical health advantages unmatched by other forms of exercise. Learn more about why the upsides of hiking are worth climbing for at https://on.natgeo.com/4eXKX4K

Photograph by Frans Lanting

30/06/2024

New bank notes launched this month in Japan! Don’t be surprised to have 2 sets of notes (old and new — you can still use the old!).
This will be especially notable in rural Japan where cash is still king in most places.

Japan will start issuing new banknotes on Wednesday, showcasing what it touts is the world's first use of cutting-edge holography that makes the portraits of historic figures look like they are rotating in 3D on the bills, one of their anti-counterfeit measures. In the first design change in 20 year...