Kyoto Imperial Palace, Successive Emperor's Residence
The Heian-kyo had been the center of the nation where the successive emperors resided for over 1200 years since the capital relocation from Nara in 794 by the 50th Emperor Kanmu until 1869 when Emperor Meiji moved to Tokyo, one year after the Meiji Restoration. The highlight is the beautiful Shishinden Hall with its cypress […]
Shoko Shuseikan, The Wise Lord Shimazu Nariakira Seeded a Modern Nation
Shoko Shuseikan Museum, registered as one of "Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution, encompassing Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding, and Coal Mining," is a group of factories established in 1851 by Shimazu Nariakira (1809-1858, 島津斉彬), the 28th head of the Shimazu clan and the lord of Satsuma domain. With the threat of Western powers expanding into Asia becoming […]
Museum Meiji-Mura: Japan Red Cross Society Central Hospital, A Symbol of Relief Work in Peacetime
One of the wards of the Japanese Red Cross Central Hospital, delicately adorned with its exquisite exterior and state-of-the-art facilities, has been relocated to the Museum Meiji-Mura. Sunlight streams in through the glass wall of the corridor, and the long, straight, boarded corridor maintains a sense of pristine cleanliness. This wooden architecture exudes the esteemed […]
Meiji Jingu Shrine: An Amazing Green Forest to Commemorate the Virtues of Emperor Meiji
Meiji Jingu Shrine is located in the center of Tokyo to enshrine the spirit of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. It has a variety of wild animals, bugs, butterflies, fungi, 234 kinds of trees, 352 kinds of plants, and more than 100 kinds of birds in the forest which is blessed with a breath of […]
Thomas Blake Glover, a brilliant turnaround from a weapons merchant to a contributor to Japan’s industrialization
Glover House stands as the most renowned Western residence constructed within a foreign settlement in Nagasaki. It holds the distinction of being one of Japan’s World Heritage sites: the Meiji Industrial Revolution; Iron, Steal, Shipbuilding, and Coal Mining. In 1859, Thomas Blake Glover embarked on a journey to Japan as an employee of the tea […]
Cherry blossoms and red leaves at Hakodate Goryokaku Fort
Goryokaku Fort (五稜郭) is Japan’s first western-style star fort located in Hakodate. The view from the top of the observatory, situated 90 meters above the ground of Goryokaku Park Tower, offers a truly spectacular sight. The iconic five-star shape, filled with approximately 1,600 cherry blossom trees in spring and adorned with vibrant autumn leaves in […]