Monthly Archives for January 2014
Kitaichi Venetian Art Museum
Otaru had a thriving herring fishing trade. Glass buoys were used to light up fishing boats at night to attract herrings. A glass industry flourished in Otaru to support the herring trade. When the herring fishing industry declined in the … Continue reading
Otaru Canal
Otaru Canal is the symbol of this city. The canal zone boomed in the Meiji Period when Otaru was the only significant port on Hokkaido’s Sea of Japan coast and after the Hokkaido Development Office was established in nearby Sapporo … Continue reading
Mt Aso, Kumamoto
Not far from Kumamoto is the real live active volcano, Mt. Aso, one of several on Kyushu. There are three main viewing areas. Scattered around the rim are mushroom shaped pill boxes so people can take cover from spewing ash … Continue reading
Kusakabe mingei-kan
This house belonged to the Kusakabe family, successful Takayama merchants who thrived in the late Edo and early Meiji periods. It was built in 1879 to replace an earlier home and business lost in a fire. It is a two storey … Continue reading
Pontocho, Kyoto
Pontocho is the most centrally located of Kyoto’s Hanamachi, or geisha districts. Pontocho has a thriving nightlife area which attracts both Japanese and Westerners alike. Similar to Gion, the traditional houses are well preserved, giving visitors a glimpse of … Continue reading