Japan Travel

How Mountains Move

How Mountains Move

Mountains grow, shrink and change shape both slowly and suddenly, and human behavior is changing them in alarming ways.

The Sustainable Culture of Yogurt Jars

The Sustainable Culture of Yogurt Jars

Cute little glass and ceramic yogurt jars have become a DIY trend and recycling strategy.

Comeback of the Courtyard House

Comeback of the Courtyard House

The pandemic, soaring cost of housing and environmental concerns are renewing interest in courtyard houses, albeit on a miniature scale.

Japan’s Golden Pavilion

Japan’s Golden Pavilion

The Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, Japan, is evidence of Japan's aesthetic balance of restrained simplicity and bursts of opulent grandeur.

Japan’s Poignant Cherry Blossom Season

Japan’s Poignant Cherry Blossom Season

Japan's annual cherry blossom season conveys a timely message of renewal, transience and death in a year of global tragedy.

Gift Wrapping

Gift Wrapping

Wrapping gifts beautifully can help take the edge off of social distancing during the holidays.

A World of Pickles

A World of Pickles

Pickling is one of the most common ways of food preservation the world over. See our recipes and information about pickles.

How Crafts Help Us Cope

How Crafts Help Us Cope

Crafts are booming as people shelter at home during the pandemic. We explore why, as well as ways to learn a new craft without stressing out.

Meditation and Japan’s Rock Garden

Meditation and Japan’s Rock Garden

Meditation is the theme of the Ryoanji dry rock garden. Find out why the garden inspires meditation and how to meditate.

Sustainable Tourism for Holidays

Sustainable Tourism for Holidays

Packing for travel this holiday season should include a primer on how to be responsible, sustainable tourists. Here it is.

Din Tai Fung Sightings

Din Tai Fung Sightings

Din Tai Fung restaurants' delicious takes on common Taiwanese foods, especially steamed dumplings, have brought a devoted global following.

Giant Buddha, Giant Hall

Giant Buddha, Giant Hall

An emperor built a giant Buddha to unify his struggling country, as the center of a network of Buddhist temples throughout Japan.

Japanese Design Past and Present

Japanese Design Past and Present

Architect Kengo Kuma's village at the Portland Japanese Garden blends modern architecture with traditional Japanese design.

Yearning for Yogurt

Yearning for Yogurt

Yogurt is one of the oldest and most popular foods and a booming global industry. Here's our recipe for creamy mild yogurt.

Dolls with Souls

Dolls with Souls

Japan's magnificent tradition of fine doll making is a miniature window into the nation's culture and history.

Travel is So Daily

Travel is So Daily

As more and more travelers are discovering, travel is more about enhancing the life you have than escaping from it.

Battle of the Samurai

Battle of the Samurai

Osaka Castle marks the site of an epic samurai battle and one of the most important turning points in Japanese history.

Scaffolding the World

Scaffolding the World

Finding a historical site shrouded in scaffolding is disappointing, but it is a valuable tool for preserving the world's heritage.

A Minimalist Tries Marie Kondo

A Minimalist Tries Marie Kondo

A confirmed minimalist finds that Marie Kondo's tidying method helps her to refine an understanding of what brings joy.

Katsura Villa’s Enigmatic Design

Katsura Villa’s Enigmatic Design

Modernist architects admired Katsura Villa as the pinnacle of Japanese architecture and design. It is more complex than they thought.

Green thumb challenged? Grow rocks

Green thumb challenged? Grow rocks

Okay, so you don’t have green thumbs. We don't either. Not to worry. Rock gardens are the next best option.

Making a Japanese Gate

Making a Japanese Gate

We were charmed by the beautiful gates that are the entrance to homes in Kyoto and Nara, Japan, so we decided to make our own.

A Palace to Remember

A Palace to Remember

Visible traces of the Heijō Palace, Japan's palace from which the emperor ruled in splendor, were gone, until the site was restored.

Sustainable Bamboo

Sustainable Bamboo

Eat it, build a home or furniture with it, use it in the kitchen, use it for plumbing, wear it, make fences or containers with it.

Retreat by Design

Retreat by Design

What makes a retreat restful and soul restoring? A former imperial retreat in Kyoto, Japan, gets retreat design just right.

Elements of a Japanese Garden

Elements of a Japanese Garden

Imagine you're sitting in Los Angeles traffic on a hot day. Take a break and head for a cool green oasis - Suihoen Japanese Garden

Traces of an Ancient Superpower

Traces of an Ancient Superpower

Traces of an ancient Chinese superpower remain far away in Japan, the eastern end of the Silk Road.