Exploring Japan: Winter Trip to Tohoku

Tsuru no Yu is the onsen I wanted to visit most in Akita Prefecture; it is a unique onsen mainly because of its milky white water found only at a few other onsens in Japan. Tsuru no Yu means “hot spring of cranes” in Japanese, and apparently, it got this name from a legend of an injured crane who was seen bathing in here.

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Matsumoto Castle

Română/日本語 It’s time to tell you a bit about the last stop of our spring holiday trip in Takayama-Shirakawago-Matsumoto, and that is Matsumoto! Matsumoto is a town in Nagano prefecture, famous for its castle. Matsumoto Castle is also known as Karasu-jō 烏城 (“Crow Castle”) due to its black exterior, and it is often put in…

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Lost in Takayama

Română/日本語 Takayama, which can be translated as the “Tall Mountain”, is a wonderful city in Gifu prefecture. You can find Shirakawago UNESCO site in the same prefecture, a village with traditional Japanese houses, built in gassho-zukuri style (hands in prayer inspired roofs). Takayama, which is not far from Shirakawago, represents the ideal place to stop…

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A Stroll Around Japanese Gardens in Tokyo

Română/日本語 Autumn, my favorite season, is almost over, but I wish to stay in the mood for momijigari-enjoying the autumn leaves in Japan, and this time I’m going to introduce a few places in Tokyo. In Tokyo, you can also find some amazing places for momijigari, and especially gardens. One of them is Rikugien garden,…

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Takaosan (Mount Takao)

Română/日本語 A week after coming back from Kyoto, here I am again, leaving for another trip to see beautiful autumn leaves, to Mount Takao. Only 50 minutes away from Tokyo (from Shinjuku station), Mount Takao is a popular destination among people living in Tokyo, being a great escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. It…

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In search of Autumn, in Kyoto (Day 2)

Română/日本語 To keep my promise, here I am with the second-day adventures in search of beautiful autumn, in Kyoto! The second day’s route was the following: Day 2-Rurikoin-Tofukuji-Fushimi Inari Taisha-Kiyomizu-Dera About Rurikoin there is no information in tourist guides and it is not listed as a must-see attraction of Kyoto, but it is a highly…

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In search of Autumn, in Kyoto (Day 1)

Română/日本語 I really wished to visit the Old Imperial capital, Kyoto, during autumn. Kyoto is definitely a wonderful city, with 17 UNESCO monuments and it deserves to be visited in every season, but during autumn and spring, it gets even more beautiful. Admiring the autumn leaves 紅葉狩り (momijigari) is a popular activity for Japanese people,…

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Chichibu

Română/日本語 My first trip outside Tokyo was in Chichibu, Saitama prefecture. To be honest, I haven’t heard of Chichibu before that. But located close to Tokyo (approximately 2 hours by train), surrounded by gorgeous mountains, it’s a popular destination among Japanese people. There is something to do in each season in Chichibu, autumn-admiring the fall…

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Discovering Tokyo-Asakusa

Română/日本語 After Tokyo Tower, the next place I visited in Tokyo was Asakusa, and I was so impressed by it that it remained my favorite place in Tokyo. Stories and movies about geishas were one of my first encounters with Japanese culture, so that atmosphere of a traditional Japan that Asakusa, the oldest geisha district…

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Festival Atmosphere

Română/日本語 There are hundreds of festivals in Japan, each Shinto shrine holding its own festival once a year. Major ones usually take place in summer, but I was lucky to attend a Japanese festival for the first time in September when I arrived in Japan. It was a small festival and I got there by…

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