Tag Archives: Japan

Travel, Videos, Views

Summer Walks: A Bamboo Path At Otokuni In Kyoto

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After the rain, the bamboo grove is the perfect time to feel the smell of fertile soil and bamboo. But please beware of mosquitoes during the summer. At Tennōzan, there was a battle that marked a turning point in Japanese history.

Even today, important days are sometimes referred to as Tennōzan. Komyo-ji Temple attracts a lot of tourists during the fall foliage season. In the fresh green season, you can enjoy a relaxing walk without worrying about the surroundings.

Video timeline: 00:00 タイトル（Title） 00:11 竹の径（Bamboo Path at Otokuni） 02:04 洛西竹林公園（Kyoto Bamboo Park） 03:25 大山崎竹林の小径（Bamboo Path at Oyamazaki） 04:48 天王山散策（Walking Around Tennōzan） 05:21 宝積寺（Hoshaku-ji Temple） 06:15 観音寺 (Kannon-ji Temple) 06:48 天王山（Mount Tennōzan） 08:00 自玉手祭来酒解神社（Sakatoke Shrine） 08:32 光明寺（Komyo-ji Temple）

Cities, Profiles, Stories, Technology, Transportation, Videos, Views

Public Transport: Inside Tokyo’s Electric ‘Red Bus’

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An electric bus service has injected a new playfulness into a borough of Tokyo in need of a revamp. We hop aboard and meet Eiji Mitooka, its creator and Japan’s foremost train designer, who explains why he puts fun at the top of his list when designing public transport. All aboard!

Read more in the June issue of the magazine: [https://monocle.com/shop/product/2155…

Architecture, Design, Stories, Sustainability, Views

Green Design: Villa Hotel On Ishigaki Island, Japan

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Japanese architecture practice Sou Fujimoto Architects has revealed design for a villa hotel that features an undulating green roof, offering sweeping views on Japan’s Ishigaki Island.

Designed for a Japanese hospitality brand Not A Hotel, the brand’s new vacation homes are set to be built to offer various rentable holiday homes in multiple locations across Japan. 

Fujimoto’s holiday home is located on a tranquil Ishigaki Island, which is 11 minutes by car from New Ishigaki Airport. The vacation home, which gently connects to the earth, is offered visitors who want to spend a quiet time on the island.

Sou Fujimoto reveals villa hotel with undulating roof offering sweeping views on Ishigaki Island

Sou Fujimoto Architects‘ design, made of a circular-shaped structure and a bowl-shaped hilly courtyard, is envisioned like “a small paradise, offering a revelatory experience of earth.”

The circular holiday home on the vast grounds was designed without a front and back façade to be able to offer an uninterrupted views towards its surrounding. 

Sou Fujimoto reveals villa hotel with undulating roof offering sweeping views on Ishigaki Island

“The architecture, which has a vague boundary between the inside and outside and is connected to the earth, is equipped with a living-dining room overlooking the sea and four separate bedrooms that can accommodate up to 10 people,” stated the project’s website. 

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Travel, Videos, Views

Views: The Landscapes And Culture Of Okinawa, Japan

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Okinawa is a Japanese prefecture comprising more than 150 islands in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Japan’s mainland. It’s known for its tropical climate, broad beaches and coral reefs, as well as World War II sites. On the largest island (also named Okinawa) is Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, commemorating a massive 1945 Allied invasion, and Churaumi Aquarium, home to whale sharks and manta rays.

Culture, Profiles, Stories, Videos, Views

Artisan Views: Handmade Japanese Iron Kettles

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A handmade Japanese iron kettle can cost over $300. For centuries, artisans have made kettles by pouring molten iron into molds and hammering them out once they’ve cooled. These kettles often have beautiful designs but they’re only used for boiling water. You can buy a mass produced stovetop kettle for $20, so what makes these kettles unique? And why are they so expensive?

News, Podcasts, Stories

Morning News: Ukraine’s Losses In Donbas, Prison Radio, CBD Use In Japan

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Russia is making steady, piecemeal gains in the region; Ukrainian forces are simply outgunned. That disparity defines the war’s progression—for now.

More than 20 countries have radio stations run by and for prisoners, giving those inside a voice. And why a cannabis derivative is proving popular among Japan’s elderly. 

Cities, Travel, Videos, Views

Walking Tour: Shinjuku City In Tokyo, Japan (4K)

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Shinjuku City encompasses the buzzing clubs and karaoke rooms of neon-lit East Shinjuku and upscale hotel bars and restaurants in the Skyscraper District. Tokyo Metropolitan Building has a popular observation deck, and Mount Hakone rises over tranquil urban parkland. Galleries, theaters, and bookstores attract students from busy campuses. New National Stadium is a high-tech sports venue built for the 2020 Olympics. 

Art, Culture, Exhibitions, History, Tours, Videos, Views

Tours: ‘The Art Of Ramen’ – Japan House, Los Angeles

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This exhibition touches on the history and culture of ramen, but its primary goal is to spotlight the donburi itself. To examine donburi more closely, these bowls are “dissected” and observed in detail, like a specimen. Then, in the hands of thirty artists, the bowls serve as blank canvases on which the fun, the deliciousness and the many possibilities of ramen are uniquely expressed. In addition, the exhibition introduces the region of Mino – Japan’s largest producer of porcelain ramen bowls – and its long and important history of ceramic production, from tea bowls to house wares to donburi.

Ramen – wheat noodles served in soup with toppings – were introduced to Japan in the late 19th century, grew popular over the following decades and became deeply connected with the culture of postwar Japan. A fast food served in a single bowl, the hot noodle soup can satisfy hunger for a reasonable price. Originally Chinese, this everyday dish has evolved differently in each region of Japan, featuring diverse ingredients and seasonings.