And We're Back!

Hello Readers,

We'll be back to posting articles on our blogspot! Wordpress didn't work well for us, so look forward to new content this and next week.

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We're Moving!

Hello Everything Japan readers,

After a few considerations, Everything Japan is moving to Wordpress! Everything here on Blogger will remain available for access to read. I plan on importing a few older articles to our new site (such as reviews). Everything posted afterwards will be new content! I hope to see you over at Wordpress, thank you!

New site: https://everythingjapan.home.blog/

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Lake Tazawa (田沢湖)

Located just south of Towada-Hachimantai National Park, Lake Tazawa (田沢湖) is a scenic caldera lake that has not been overly developed and retains a natural and rustic atmosphere. The lake is often visited in conjunction with nearby sites like Nyuto Onsen or Mount Akita-Komagatake, which also offer rustic scenes that are typical of the Tohoku Region.

Lake Tazawa has much in common with Lake Towada, another popular lake in the area that lends its name to the Towada-Hachimantai National Park. While Lake Towada is the largest caldera lake in the country, Lake Tazawa is Japan's deepest lake with a depth of 423 meters. Both lakes offer similar scenery and water related activities like pleasure boat rides.

At the northern end of the lake stands the Goza no Ishi Shrine on a site where the local lords used to come to admire the water in the feudal past. At the western end of the lake there is a famous golden statue of a woman named Tatsuko that has become a local symbol. According to legend, Tatsuko was a beautiful girl who prayed to retain her beauty forever but was instead cursed and turned into a dragon and eventually sunk to the bottom of Lake Tazawa.

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Oze National Park (尾瀬国立公園)

Oze (尾瀬) is a national park and excellent hiking destination in the mountains about 150 kilometers north of Tokyo. Its most well known features are the Ozegahara Marshland and the Ozenuma Pond. A number of surrounding mountains are also included within the park. Oze is extremely popular during the blooming of skunk cabbages in the late spring and early summer and during the fall colors of early autumn, whereas in the winter it is covered in deep snow and is rarely visited.

Oze has numerous trailheads through which visitors can enter the park. The trails are well maintained, and there are wide elevated boardwalks that pass over the Ozegahara Marshland and around Ozenuma Pond. Hiking from the Hatomachitoge trailhead past the marshland and pond to the Oshimizu trailhead can be done in six to eight hours by decent hikers, and there are no overly difficult inclines.

The park can be visited in a day trip from Tokyo, but to avoid an early start and a lot of traveling in one day it is also possible to stay overnight. Within the park grounds there are a few mountain huts where travelers can stay for the evening. Accommodation can also be found just outside the park in the Tokura area, from where buses depart to the southern trailheads.

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Curb Market (札幌場外市場)

Curb Market (札幌場外市場) consists of nearly 80 stores and restaurants lined up along several blocks just outside of Sapporo's Central Wholesale Market. One of the city's largest public markets, the Curb Market specializes in Hokkaido seafood such as crab, sea urchin, salmon roe, squid and scallops, and local produce such as corn, melons and potatoes when in season.

The market's shops cater to both locals and tourists alike, and have a good selection at reasonable prices. Like other seafood markets around Japan, an excellent way to experience the market's offerings is to have a meal of fresh local seafood served over rice (domburi) at one of the local restaurants.

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Hanatoro (花灯路)

Hanatoro (花灯路), which means "flower and light road", is a set of illumination events that take place in the Higashiyama District of Kyoto in March and the Arashiyama district of Kyoto in December. During Hanatoro the streets are illuminated by thousands of lanterns set throughout popular areas combined with flower and light displays.

Many temples and shrines are illuminated and have special extended viewing hours. In addition, live and street performances are held at stages around the area. The pleasant and unique atmosphere of Hanatoro attracts many visitors who can stroll the streets and see a different side of Kyoto.

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Shodoshima (小豆島)

Shodoshima (小豆島) is the second largest island in the Seto Inland Sea and one of the first islands born to the gods in the creation myth of Japan. The name literally means "small bean island", which technically refers to the azuki bean but today would more fittingly refer to the soy bean or olive as the island has traditionally been a producer of soy sauce and now is even better known for its olive plantations.

Shodoshima attracts visitors with its Mediterranean atmosphere, offering beaches, resorts, coastal sceneries and a mountainous interior with one of Japan's most celebrated gorges, the Kankakei Gorge. The island is also known as the filming location for popular movies.

Shodoshima serves as one of the venues for the Setouchi Triennale art festival. Some permanent art installations from past festivals can be seen around the island. These include several outdoor installations, most of which are concentrated around the port towns along the island's southern coast. Note that some of the artworks are closed on weekdays and during winter.

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Hakone Glass no Mori (箱根ガラスの森)

The Hakone Glass no Mori (箱根ガラスの森) features Italian styled buildings housing a museum and shops. Outside is a large strolling garden surrounding a canal like pond. The garden has a number of large glass sculptures laid about it, as well as a cafe with an open terrace at one end where live canzoni (Italian ballads) performances are held.

The Glass no Mori's Venetian Glass Museum houses a collection of over 100 pieces of Venetian glassware. It displays both modern and classical works in all forms including vases, goblets, lamps and sculptures.

The Hakone Glass no Mori is run by the Ukai Group, an operator of themed high class restaurants, which also owns the Kawaguchiko Music Forest at Kawaguchiko in the Fuji Five Lakes region.

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