Stories and Objects
Deep from within Japan
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Seimei Shrine in Kyoto: The Enchantments of Japan's Yin-Yang Master
Abe no Seimei, Japan’s most renowned sorcerer, was famed for his mastery of Onmyodo - the Way of Yin and Yang. With Kyoto’s Seimei Shrine at the center of his legacy, he continues to embody this un...
Seasonal Sake: Hiyaoroshi, the Taste of Autumn
In Japan, autumn comes bottled. Hiyaoroshi sake, first brewed in the Edo period, is released each fall as a seasonal celebration - mellow yet lively and perfectly paired with the harvest.
Kyoto Station Dining: Quick Bites Before Boarding Your Shinkansen
Kyoto Station is packed with restaurants, cafés and food courts. Here’s a guide to the best places to grab a bite before catching your train.
Chess, Carpentry, and Creativity: Shrines for A Handful of Hobbies
If you have a hobby — not everybody does — there is probably a shrine for you. Here are shrines celebrating sewing, fishing, shogi, carpentry, and papermaking.
Japan Talks Up a Storm: Japanese Words for the Rain
Rain in Japan, explained: from dragon myths to temple rituals, tsuyu’s regional rhythms, rich rain expressions and wet-weather travel tips.
Hear Ye, Hear Ye: A Guide to Japan's Ear Shrines
Get an earful of the stories of these ear shrines in Japan — tales of tragic star-crossed lovers, the Prince of Eight Ears, Ear Festivals, and more.
Kyoto Festivals in October: Taro, Torches and the Flow of Time
October in Kyoto is an autumn pageant: shrines decorated with vegetables for Zuiki Matsuri, a mountain ablaze with the Kurama Fire Festival and the regal Jidai Matsuri sweeping through the city.
A Yen for Prayer: Money Shrines in Japan, Part 2
More money shrines in Japan where you can launder money legally, pray to a lottery cat deity, and ask a sacred Magic 8 Ball your questions.
The Best Matcha Dessert Cafés in Kyoto: A Caffeinated Guide
Kyoto isn’t short on temples but the real pilgrimage may be to its matcha cafés. This guide points you to the best spots for parfaits and cake powered by Uji magic.
A Yen for Prayer: Money Shrines in Japan, Part 1
Snake scarecrows, seagull poop, swords, and stocks — here are the stories behind five money shrines in Japan.
Shojin Ryori Buddhist Cuisine: Cook Your Way to Zen
Shojin ryori transforms simple ingredients into spirituality. Blending seasonal vegetables with mindful preparation, Japanese temple cuisine unites cooking, eating and awakening.
Major Money Shrines in Tokyo for Financial Fortune
Are your finances feeling fraught? Try making a wish at one of these money shrines in Tokyo.
The Fujin Files: What a Japanese God Carries in his Bag of Wind
The Japanese have long feared and revered the winds. From typhoon country comes a wealth of weather lore and hundreds of names for the wind.
Strangely Specific Shrines and Temples for Medical Problems: Part 4
Troubled by cataracts, pink eye, dry eye, or glaucoma? Pray the eye problems away at these temples and shrines.
Strangely Specific Shrines and Temples for Medical Problems: Part 3
Hemorrhoids: Here today, gone tomorrow? Here are some places to pray piles away.
Izakaya Culture: A Shot of Japanese Drinking History - with Snacks
Pull up a chair and raise a glass: this guide to Japan’s izakaya gastro-pubs covers history, etiquette and mystifying sake pours.
Strangely Specific Shrines for Medical Problems: Part 2
Suffering from coughs, colds, hayfever, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, or throat cancer? These shrines in Japan can (maybe) help.
Onsen Manners: Soaking Up Hot Spring Etiquette in Japan
Dip into the steamy world of the Japanese onsen - this guide covers everything from its history and etiquette to the animals that can’t resist a hot springs soak. Towels not included.
Kyoto in September: Moon Viewing and Early Autumn Events
From chrysanthemum festivals to moonlit rituals at shrines and temples, September in Kyoto brings the elegance of imperial court culture to life.
Strangely Specific Shrines and Temples for Medical Problems: Part 1
Rule 34 isn’t just for porn; it also applies to religious institutions. These shrines help you with skin and sleep maladies.
Eel, Sushi, Tempura, Soba: A History of Eating Out in Japan
Forged in the wake of fire, dining culture in the shogun’s capital helped shape modern washoku. At its heart were the so-called Four Heavenly Kings - unagi, soba, tempura and sushi - that dominated...
Penis Paradise: Phallic Shrines in Japan, Part 2
Part 2 of the penis shrine pilgrimage takes us to Kumamoto, Yamaguchi, Shimane, Chiba, Shizuoka, and Ehime.
Incense Clocks: To Measure Time, Set the Timepiece on Fire
Time used to smell better in old Japan, with incense clocks keeping track of the hours for everyone from monks to geisha. But incense was more than a timepiece; it became a refined pastime still en...
Yokai in the House: When Zashiki Warashi and Co. Move In
Have yokai appeared in the house? Whether it's the zashiki warashi of Iwate or the bathroom-licking akaname, Japanese folklore tells you how to keep calm and carry on.