16 May 2012: Kanda Shrine's Fireproof Gate
The Kanda Shrine, known also as Kanda Myojin, is one of the must-see shrines in Tokyo. Even if you're not interested in the Japanese religion, if you visit Akihabara for electronics or for anime ... »
Read more » 36 comments 13 May 2012: Travel destinations for kids, Saitama Railway Museum Park Zone
I was always amazed about the great interest of Japanese people in everything related to trains. And it's an interest that appeals to all ages: if you visit the Railway Museum from Saitama, you will ... »
Read more » 44 comments 12 May 2012: What to see in Tokyo - Life-size Gundam is back for good in Odaiba
After the huge success from 2009, when the life-size statue of the iconic RX-78-2 Gundam was first built in the Shiokaze Park in Odaiba, Tokyo - then the statue attracted over 4 million visitors in ... »
Read more » 52 comments 10 May 2012: Masterpieces of Japanese architecture, Iidabashi Station
For architecture lovers, Japan offers many "must-see" sights. Besides many well known architectural landmarks, over time I discovered a lot of hidden gems, architectural jewels lost in the ... »
Read more » 71 comments 07 May 2012: Popular Japanese treats, Kakigori
For me, the best way to cool off during a hot summer day in Japan is kakigōri 「かき氷」, a Japanese dessert made of shaved ice flavored with various syrups.
If ... »
Read more » 51 comments 06 May 2012: Shinto torii, Buddhist temple
Discussing these days with a group of people preparing to visit Japan, I realized that while everybody knows about the two important religions of Japan, Buddhism and Shinto, few people know how to ... »
Read more » 36 comments 04 May 2012: Japanese traditional houses in Nara and a travel tip
In many of the traditional cities from Japan, the old merchant districts are amongst the most important tourist attractions. Unfortunately, that's not the case with the old merchant district of Nara, ... »
Read more » 55 comments 03 May 2012: Japanese traditions - Dashi parade, plus a travel tip
Some of the best Japanese festivals (matsuri) are the dashi parades, processions of 3-level wooden floats, about 8 meters tall, lavishly ornate with complicated carvings. While the taiko drummers ... »
Read more » 85 comments 26 Apr 2012: Japanese castle interior, warriors running passage
A thought that crossed my mind while visiting several of the Japanese castles with original interior, was that although impressive on the outside, the castles were built with the same philosophy as ... »
Read more » 77 comments 25 Apr 2012: Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 aerial panorama
A great travel destination, Minato Mirai 21 from Yokohama should be one of the must see Japanese places... And not only because here you can visit the tallest building from Japan, the spectacular the ... »
Read more » 51 comments 24 Apr 2012: Miyajima Beauty - Pagoda and Senjokaku
Renowned for its spectacular Itsukushima Shrine, whose Otorii is one of Japan's symbols, the Miyajima Island is a place full of beautiful sights, that deserves to be thoroughly explored... Very ... »
Read more » 51 comments 21 Apr 2012: A glimpse of old Japan, Tsukishima streets
Visiting Japan, you will be fascinated by many attractions, but you will certainly want to experience even a glimpse of the old Japan... And fortunately, there are quite a few places where you can do ... »
Read more » 47 comments 07 Apr 2012: The torii that survived the atomic bomb
After you visit the Hiroshima Castle, you can also visit the Gokoku Shrine, located right on the castle grounds. In 1945, when the atomic blast struck Hiroshima, the Gokoku Shrine was located less ... »
Read more » 56 comments 31 Mar 2012: Visiting Japan, Omiya Hachiman Shrine
If you're looking for a typical Japanese experience, but something a little less common that the usual must see in Japan list, and if you enjoy exploring the Japanese spirituality, you may like a day ... »
Read more » 47 comments 28 Mar 2012: Japanese traditions - Raijin, the Thunder God
Visiting Japanese temples, eventually you will wonder who are the characters represented so often by larger-than-life sculptures placed inside many temple gates... One of them is Raijin, the Japanese ... »
Read more » 68 comments 26 Mar 2012: Tokyo Tocho travel tip
I was writing in 2010 that after visiting Tokyo for 4 years in a row, strolling through Nishi-Shinjuku was one of my favorite activities. Now, after 2 years and 4 more visits to Tokyo, I have to say ... »
Read more » 63 comments 25 Mar 2012: Yume-Kyobashi Castle Road and a travel tip
There are many areas in Japan where you can experience the traditional Japan, streets "conserved" to look like in the old times. But besides them, there are also streets especially rebuilt to look ... »
Read more » 46 comments 23 Mar 2012: Japanese mascots - Hiko-nyan, Hikone Castle's samurai cat
Cats are very popular in Japan... and obviously, the cat mascots are also very popular. Meet Hiko-nyan, the Hikone Castle's mascot, the most famous and the cutest samurai cat! His name is a ... »
Read more » 72 comments 21 Mar 2012: Rainy day at Kan'ei-ji
The Kan'ei-ji Temple from Ueno, Tokyo, was established in 1625, during the Kan-ei Era, hence its name. At its peak, with more than 30 buildings, the temple was covering a vast area, the entire zone ... »
Read more » 52 comments 20 Mar 2012: Colors of Shinjuku
To me, Tokyo is a city that gives a feeling of optimism... it makes me cheerful and eager to explore. And since I returned to Tokyo multiple times over a period of 6 years, I can tell that this is ... »
Read more » 68 comments 18 Mar 2012: Yakatabune parking at Yanagibashi
Close to Ryōgokubashi, the bridge crossing the Sumida River near the Edo-Tokyo Museum and the Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo stadium, in Taitō (on the west side of the river), there is a small ... »
Read more » 60 comments 13 Mar 2012: Daruma dolls and a travel tip
I wrote before about Daruma dolls, the good luck charms representing, in a very stylized form, Bodhidharma, the legendary founder of Zen Buddhism. The legend says that Bodhidharma traveled to ... »
Read more » 62 comments 12 Mar 2012: Shukkeien, Japanese garden panorama
The Shukkeien Garden from Hiroshima is one of the most beautiful circular-tour Japanese gardens I have visited. In the middle of the garden is the Takuei pond, with over 10 decorative islands, like ... »
Read more » 76 comments 08 Mar 2012: Japanese spiritual architecture, rare wheel repository at Naritasan
Ever wondered how the important documents are stored in a Japanese Buddhist temple? There is often a dedicated building, with interior shelves, where the important sutras and the historical documents ... »
Read more » 83 comments 07 Mar 2012: Sightseeing Nara, Sunset at Nandaimon Gate
The Tōdai-ji Temple from Nara was established in 728 and, like many other Japanese temples, suffered a lot of changes during its history, with buildings destroyed and rebuilt several times. Its ... »
Read more » 74 comments 06 Mar 2012: Mekura-ishi, the Blind stone
Many shrines in Japan are dedicated to gods of love, marriage and matchmaking. But some of them, besides the usual ema and omamori, have some special customs. At the Jishu Shrine, the shrine near the ... »
Read more » 42 comments 04 Mar 2012: Japanese architecture - Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Center
At the end of the 1950s, a group of young Japanese architects founded the architectural movement called Metabolism. The name of the movement comes from a term used in biology, referring to the ... »
Read more » 57 comments 03 Mar 2012: Hina Matsuri Dolls and a travel tip
Today in Japan takes place one of my favorite celebrations, Hina Matsuri - the Doll Festival. Today, the families with young daughters are displaying a very special set of dolls (hina-ningyō), ... »
Read more » 85 comments 13 Feb 2012: Japanese architecture, Osaka Broadcasting Station, History Museum and a travel tip
If you like modern architecture, one of the most interesting cities to visit in Japan is Osaka. I already presented a few very interesting skyscrapers like the Gate Tower Building, the Rinku Gate ... »
Read more » 59 comments 11 Feb 2012: A Shrine that protects... Information Technology
Located on a small hill near Akihabara, Kanda Myojin is one of the oldest shrines in Tokyo, being originally established in 720. It enshrines the famous samurai Taira no Masakado and two of the Seven ... »
Read more » 70 comments 08 Feb 2012: Osaka Castle glamorous gold decorations and a travel tip
The Osaka Castle is one of the most glamorous Japanese castles, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a symbol of its power and richness. It is known that Hideyoshi liked gold so much that he was using it ... »
Read more » 74 comments 01 Feb 2012: Itsukushima Shrine Torii at low tide
The Itsukushima Shrine's Otorii (Grand Gate) from the Miyajima Island is probably the most famous torii from Japan. It is so famous that there is a high probability that an image featuring this torii ... »
Read more » 62 comments 28 Jan 2012: Old Japanese Stories, the legend of Fushimi Inari Taisha
The Japanese traditional culture is extremely rich in stories and legends passed from generation to generation. When you visit the Japanese temples, shrines or monuments, look for the explanatory ... »
Read more » 71 comments 26 Jan 2012: A shard of paradise in Ueno
It would be wrong for me to recommend for the first time visitors in Japan some unknown temple or shrine, located far from the main routes. During your first visit you should go to famous places, ... »
Read more » 77 comments 25 Jan 2012: Nagoya Castle, birds-eye view and a travel tip
Built at the orders of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Nagoya Castle was located in a strategic place, to stop the attacks coming from Osaka. The castle was finished in 1612 while the adjacent Hommaru ... »
Read more » 46 comments 22 Jan 2012: Hello Kitty Hato Bus and a travel tip
As you probably noticed, I always plan my own trips, with maps, events, attractions, transportation, accommodation, etc. So, I don't go on organized tours... but last year in Kobe, forced by a huge ... »
Read more » 78 comments 20 Jan 2012: Romantic evenings in Kyoto
There are so many places to spend an evening in Kyoto... Most tourists choose to go to Gion, the famous geisha district, especially on Hanami-koji-dori or on Shirakawa-minami-dori... and there are ... »
Read more » 56 comments 17 Jan 2012: Remembering the Great Hanshin earthquake
17 years ago, a powerful earthquake stroke the city of Kobe and its surroundings. It was at the time the most powerful earthquake to hit Japan after the Great Kantō earthquake from 1923 and ... »
Read more » 50 comments 16 Jan 2012: Takadanobaba, a perfect view from my window
The story of Takadanobaba starts in 1636, when the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu built in Totsuka, Shinjuku, a place for horse racing, a baba in Japanese. The place soon became one of the favorite places ... »
Read more » 51 comments 12 Jan 2012: The Samurai frogs from Matsumoto
The main attraction in Matsumoto is obviously the Matsumoto castle, but the city has a lot more to offer to the discerning tourist... The Nawate Dori (located near the castle's entrance), with its ... »
Read more » 77 comments 10 Jan 2012: Perfect view of Mount Fuji from Chuo line
One of the advantages of traveling by train in Japan is that sometimes you can be delighted by amazingly beautiful views. On the Chūō line, around Hachiōji, if the weather is good and ... »
Read more » 85 comments 08 Jan 2012: Matsumoto, the Crow Castle
Located in the Nagano Prefecture, the Matsumoto Castle is one of the four Japanese castles designated as National Treasure of Japan, (together with the Hikone Castle, the Himeji Castle and the ... »
Read more » 68 comments 12 Dec 2011: Where to travel in Japan? 7 Must See Tokyo Christmas Illuminations
If you like Christmas illuminations, Tokyo is a must see. There are so many places to enjoy during the winter holidays that you can spend every night outside, strolling under wonderful lights. End ... »
Read more » 117 comments 12 Dec 2011: Where to travel in Japan, Takasaki and new JR Pass travel tips
Many people asked me where to travel in Japan, besides the usual, well known Kyoto, Tokyo or Nara destinations... One recommendation for a day trip would be Takasaki in Gunma Prefecture. You can find ... »
Read more » 74 comments 10 Dec 2011: Korakuen Japanese Garden, Ryuten rest house
I think that I could spend entire days inside the Okayama Korakuen garden, one of the "Three Great Gardens of Japan" (Nihon Sanmeien), searching for great places to relax, admiring the landscape and ... »
Read more » 57 comments 08 Dec 2011: Tokyo Christmas Illuminations, Tokyo Dome City Milky Way travel tip
For the second photo of the Tokyo Christmas Illuminations series, I selected one of the attractions from the Tokyo Dome City, the Milky Way.
Located in Bunkyō-ku, Tokyo Dome is a large ... »
Read more » 95 comments 07 Dec 2011: Visiting Tokyo, Senso-ji Bentendo Hall
Visiting Senso-ji, the most popular temple in Tokyo, there are so many interesting places to see that, inevitably, some of them will pass unnoticed. That's often the case with two important ... »
Read more » 57 comments 06 Dec 2011: Miyajima Rice Scoops, a Japanese Story and a Travel Tip
Few countries in the world can compete with Japan in terms of number of souvenirs available for tourists. Some, like those I selected as must have Japanese souvenirs, can be found almost everywhere ... »
Read more » 47 comments 04 Dec 2011: Tokyo Christmas Illuminations, Ebisu Baccarat Eternal Lights travel tip
Last year I witnessed how beautiful is Tokyo decorated for the winter holidays, but since Japan is confronting this year the worst energy crisis in history, I was worried that there will be no ... »
Read more » 80 comments 03 Dec 2011: Tokyo Architecture, Shiodome Skyscrapers
The skyscrapers from Shiodome are not spectacularly tall, actually none of them are in the top 10 tallest skyscrapers in Tokyo. The building from the right side of the photo, Nippon Television Tower ... »
Read more » 55 comments 02 Dec 2011: Sightseeing Nara, the Hall of the second month
One of the most visited places in Nara is the Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) of the Todaiji Temple, a must-see place indeed, especially if you like traditional architecture. But if you are already ... »
Read more » 59 comments 01 Dec 2011: Exactly like in Edo, soba noodle portable vending stall
In Japan, the first documented use of buckwheat, soba in Japanese 「そば in hiragana or 蕎麦 in kanji」, dates back from the Nara period (710-794), when it was ... »
Read more » 84 comments 27 Nov 2011: Hiking Mount Kurama, Travel Tip
A friend of mine passionate about mountain scenery, asked me where to travel for some easy to reach mountain hikes in Japan, of course besides Mount Fuji. I visited a few mountainous areas and the ... »
Read more » 94 comments 24 Nov 2011: Hozomon Gate Night View
If you will ask "where to travel in Tokyo?", probably the most frequent answer you will get is the Senso-ji Temple from Asakusa, and rightly so... The oldest temple in Tokyo, Senso-ji is also one of ... »
Read more » 61 comments 22 Nov 2011: Moss covered Japanese Zen Garden, Ryogin-tei
The Ryōgen-in Temple from Kyoto is famous for its 5 Japanese Zen Gardens, each of them having a special trait. I already presented the Isshidan garden, one of the most beautiful Zen gardens I ... »
Read more » 48 comments 21 Nov 2011: Masterpieces of Japanese architecture, Nakagin Capsule Tower
Inaugurated in 1972, the Nakagin Capsule Tower from Shimbashi, Tokyo, was the world's first example of functional capsule architecture. Created by the Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, part of the ... »
Read more » 67 comments 17 Nov 2011: Kyoto contrasts, Gion geishas and... cars
Gion, the old Kyoto district renowned for its Geisha community, is by far the biggest tourist attraction not only in Kyoto but throughout the entire country. It occupies a relatively small area ... »
Read more » 88 comments 15 Nov 2011: The Grave of a Great Shogun
If you visit Nikko, you must visit the Tōshōgū Shrine. And if you visit the Tōshōgū Shrine, you should visit the grave of one of the most important figures from the ... »
Read more » 56 comments 13 Nov 2011: Osaka Crab Restaurant
Some of the many Japanese food specialties for which Osaka is renowned are the crab dishes (kani in Japanese). There are many Japanese crab menus, some of them popular overseas, too: crab sashimi, ... »
Read more » 62 comments 12 Nov 2011: Old Japanese Flower Shop
One of the most beautiful streets of the old Tokyo, Shitamachi-Naka Street, is... conserved in a museum: the Edo Tokyo Open Air Museum, located in Koganei. This is not a real street, it is a ... »
Read more » 71 comments
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2200+ FriendFeed subscribers 17 May 2012: Only in Nara 
Rickshaws are definitely a traditional tourist attraction in Japan... but today ... »
Read more » 15 comments 16 May 2012: Kanda Shrine's Fireproof Gate 
The Kanda Shrine, known also as Kanda Myojin, is one of the must-see shrines in ... »
Read more » 36 comments 15 May 2012: Minato Mirai Pukari Pier during golden hour 
I like taking photos during sunset, especially photos with buildings. When the ... »
Read more » 35 comments 14 May 2012: Old Japanese stories, the Goddess from Matsumoto Castle's ceiling 
Many places in Japan have their own fantasy stories and folktales, with ghosts, ... »
Read more » 41 comments 13 May 2012: Travel destinations for kids, Saitama Railway Museum Park Zone 
I was always amazed about the great interest of Japanese people in everything ... »
Read more » 44 comments
"A friend calculated that since I started working on this website, I lived in Japan approx. 8% of my life. Is this much or little? If you ask my family and friends, it’s a lot. I agree that it’s a lot more than a normal traveler spends in a foreign country… but if you ask me, this is just the beginning.
I want to share with you my travels through Japan and my readings about this wonderful culture, to see Japan through my eyes, from the temples and shrines to the cities and people of Japan, from places filled with history and spirituality, to the the modern Japan with skyscrapers and pop culture."
Muza-chan's Gate to Japan includes:
» Travel notes on visiting Japan, travel reviews, sightseeing, tourist attractions, historical and cultural facts, travel photos, travel tips
» A series of daily Japan photos, covering Japan places (Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura, Nikko...), traditional and modern Japanese culture, lifestyle, architecture, people, interesting facts
» Japan's most famous customs and traditions with photos, videos, stories, background and historical information plus some travel tips
» Daily selections of Japanese music (J-Pop, J-Rock, traditional music, enka and more...)
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