Visiting Historic site in Japan

 How Myth Preserved Political Integration in Early Japan I. Mist Over Izumo In western Japan, along the coast of the Sea of Japan, stands one of the oldest and most enigmatic shrines in the country: 出雲大社 . Each October, according to tradition, all the gods of Japan leave their respective shrines and gather in Izumo. While the rest of the country calls this month Kannazuki —“the month without gods”—Izumo alone calls it Kamiarizuki —“the month when the gods are present.” It is an image both mystical and atmospheric: deities assembling in silence, ancient rituals unfolding in a place that feels detached from modern time. Yet behind this sacred scenery lies a historical puzzle. Why does Izumo, far from the early political center of Yamato (present-day Nara basin), hold such theological prestige in Japanese mythology? And why does its principal deity, Ōkuninushi, willingly “transfer” the land to the heavenly descendants who later rule Japan? The answer may lie not only in religion—but i...

  Iwasaki Yataro (1835–1885) was a Japanese entrepreneur and the founder of Mitsubishi. Born into a lower-ranking samurai family in Tosa (present-day Kochi Prefecture), he rose from modest beginnings to become one of the most influential business leaders of the Meiji era. Through determination and sharp strategic thinking, he transformed Mitsubishi into a powerful shipping company that supported Japan’s rapid modernization, later expanding into mining, finance, and heavy industry. Today, Iwasaki is remembered as a bold and visionary businessman who helped lay the foundation for modern Japanese capitalism. Yet beyond boardrooms and shipping routes, Iwasaki had another passion—stones. Famous Stones of Kiyosumi Garden Iwasaki Yataro was known for his deep appreciation of stones. When developing Kiyosumi Garden in Tokyo, he collected remarkable stones from all over Japan and made them the centerpiece of the garden’s design. These stones were not randomly placed decorations; they w...

  Explore Fujizuka — Tokyo’s Hidden Mini Mt. Fujis and a Piece of Edo-Era Belief When you think of Mt. Fuji , you probably picture Japan’s tallest and most iconic peak rising above the clouds — a world-famous symbol of natural beauty. But did you know that Tokyo alone is home to dozens of miniature “Mt. Fujis”? These are called fujizuka — small mounds built to resemble Mt. Fuji tucked into neighborhood shrines and parks all across the city. (Fujiduka Near SHinagawa_station) What Are Fujizuka? During the Edo period (1603–1868), the worship of Mt. Fuji became deeply popular among ordinary people. Climbing the real Mt. Fuji was seen as a spiritually significant act — a pilgrimage with religious meaning. But for most people of that era, the actual mountain was too far, too expensive to reach, or simply too difficult to climb. To bring that experience closer to home, local religious associations known as Fuji-kō built fujizuka — artificial hills fashioned in the likeness of Mt. F...

 Like many other regions in Japan, the Nagoya area is home to countless shrines. From large, famous Shinto complexes to small neighborhood sanctuaries, shrines are deeply woven into everyday life. However, among these, there is a particularly unique and lesser-known type of shrine that stands out—one that you might easily overlook if you are not paying attention. In Nagoya, you can sometimes find shrines not at ground level, but on top of buildings. These are located on the second floor or even on the rooftop above the first floor. This unusual style of shrine is called a “Yanegami” , which literally means “rooftop deity” or “rooftop shrine.” Unlike traditional shrines surrounded by trees and torii gates, these rooftop shrines quietly watch over the city from above.   Rooftop shrines can be found especially in Nishi-ku (Ward) , Nakamura-ku , and Naka-ku of Nagoya City. One well-known example appears in Shikemichi , a small historic street that preserves the atmosphere of the ...

 Nagoya castle is one of the most famous castle in Japan It was build in Edo period in 1612. Nagoya Castle official web site     Who build this castle? of course , there are many people are involved. But I want to highlight one person. His name is Kiyomasa Kato, Japanese Daimyo in Edo period. He is know as master of castle construction.  Kiyomasa Kato (wikipedia)  He was involved in 3 big castle in Japan. 3 big castle are , (There are some other so called 3 big castle depending on different view) Kumamoto castle Osaka castle Nagoya castle  Because of this, Kiyomasa's statue is in from of Nagoya castle.  you may be able to see castle in his right.  One of the Feature Kiyomasa build castle is "Ishigaki" stone wall.  Cutting stone require very high level of skill. The rechnic was show in front of Kiyomasa's statue.  So if you have a chanse to go to Nagoya Castl, please also go to this starte and see how make this beautiful stone wall.

 Recently I moved to Nagoya and found many great historic place. There are casle such as Nagoya, Komakiya, Inuyama, Old battlefield ruins such as Okehazama, Komaki, Nagakute. I hope not only Japanese but also people in another country intereted in these historic place. So I decided to visit and write about these place. I would like to show many place as possible to many people. Yasushi Matsunami. March 30th, 2022