Off the Beaten Path Japan

Higashi Chaya District(Kanazawa City, Ishikawa)【Ochaya（お茶屋）】 is a traditional establishment—literally a teahouse—where female entertainers k...

Kenroku-en Garden(Kanazawa City, Ishikawa)【Kenroku-en（後楽園）】is one of Japan’s Three Great Gardens and stretches out beside Kanazawa Castle. I...

Kanazawa Castle(Kanazawa City, Ishikawa)【Hyakuman-goku（100万石）】refers to a yield of one million koku of rice. A koku (or goku) was a unit use...

Oyama Shrine(Kanazawa City, Ishikawa)【Toshiie to Matsu（”利家”と”まつ”）】 were a famous samurai couple who lived during the turbulent warring state...

Tondabayashi Jinai-machi District(Tondabayashi City, Osaka) 【Jinai-machi (寺内町)】 refers to a type of town that developed around a Buddhi...

Utsunomiya Gyoza Street (Utsunomiya City, Tochigi) 【Gyoza（餃子）】 are dumplings made by wrapping seasoned meat filling in a thin flou...

Ōya History Museum(Utsunomiya City, Tochigi)【Magabutsu（磨崖仏）】 is a Buddhist statue carved directly into a natural rock wall or cliff. These s...

Ōya History Museum(Utsunomiya City, Tochigi)【Kūkan（空間）】means “space” in English. Space can refer to a continuous, unoccupied area—such as th...

Tokiwa-so Manga Museum(Toshima City, Tokyo) 【Apāto（アパート） 】 is a Japanese English term derived from “apartment,” and it refers specifica...

Tokyo National Museum (Taito City, Tokyo) 【Toki (時)】refers to time in Japanese. Like a river, it flows ceaselessly forward. One ca...

Akihabara Electric Town(Chiyoda City, Tokyo)【Kōkishin（好奇心）】is curiosity, the desire to know, see, or experience something. It is an instinct...

Showa Kinen Park (Tachikawa City, Tokyo) 【Oasisu（オアシス）】 is the Japanese word for “oasis.” It originally refers to a place in the m...