More glimpses of unfamiliar Japan

Rengeji, which means Lotus Temple, is number 24 on the Shingon Kyushu Pilgrimage and is located in the little coastal town of Hiji on th...

Kanaya Tenmangu shrine is located just outside what used to be the gate into Hagi castle and was where the the Daimyo and official trave...

For me, one of the great joys of walking these pilgrimages is not so much the temples themselves, rather the unexpected thibgs seen and ...

In Tennoji Park, tucked  behind the Municipal Museum of Art is Keitakuen garden. A modern garden, built for the wealthy Sumitomo Fa...

Located against a cliff below one of the samurai districts in the old castle town of Kitsuki, just south of the Kunisaki Peninsula is Ko...

I spent some time in Tokushima last December at the start of my walk along the Shikoku Fudo Myo Pilgrimage and so had the chance to see ...

The ninth day was rainy. Not showery, but dark and overcast and incessant. Devoid of color. and while not a downpour it rained enough an...

I woke before sunrise, the only person at the little campground in the scenic Jodogaura coast, and then headed north along the little co...

Dairakuji was founded in the 14 Century and is just across the road from Usa Hachimangu, to which it was connected. Usa hachimangu now a...

I am a huge fan of kagura, and have seen hundreds and hundreds of dances over the years, most, but not all, Iwami kagura from my local a...