Off the Beaten Path Japan

Byodoin Temple Hōō-do(Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture)【Hōō (鳳凰)】, also known as the Fenghuang or Chinese Phoenix, is a mythical bird that symboli...

Kudoyama Sanada Museum(Kudoyama Town, Wakayama Prefecture)【Tsuwamono (兵)】 refers to a samurai soldier in Japanese, especially one who i...

Kojima District Jeans Street(Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture)【Seni (繊維)】 means fibers in Japanese, which are used to make textiles and fa...

Mizuki Shigeru Memorial Museum(Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture)【Yokai（妖怪）】 are supernatural entities from Japanese folklore, often depi...

Paantu(Miyako Jima City, Okinawa Prefecture)【Doro（泥）】 means mud in Japanese, referring to soft, wet, dirty, and smelly soil. The word is oft...

Kenketo Festival(Ryūō Town, Shiga Prefecture)【Furyu（風流）】 refers to a heightened aesthetic consciousness that manifests in creative design, c...

Kaiyodo Figure Museum Kurokabe(Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture)【Zokei（造形）】 refers to the creation of tangible forms based on a certain conce...

Kurokabe Square District(Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture)【Machisyu（町衆）】 refers to townsmen, particularly merchants and artisans who lived in...

Kubota Castle(Akita City, Akita Prefecture)【Tono-sama(殿様)】 refers to a feudal lord in Japan. This title was passed down through generations ...

Polder Museum of Ogata-Mura(Ogata Village, Akita Prefecture)【Kantaku-chi (干拓地)】 refers to “a polder" created by surrounding a water body wit...

40°N and 140°E Crossing Point(Ogata Village, Akita Prefecture)【Kiri-ga-ii (切がいい)】 means "a nice round number" in English. People prefer nice...

Mount Ogata Fuji(Ogata Village, Akita Prefecture)【Hyouko (標高)】 translates to ‘elevation’ in English, referring to the measurement of how hig...