There is no denying that Ube is a city of art that pulses through its veins. Playing host to the internationally-renowned ‘Ube Biennale’ sculpture competition every two years, the city’s links to the art world date back of 1961, when local residents sought to beautify their heavily industrialized, war-torn area with sculptures carved by artists...
Following the end of World War II, the war-torn and ruined Yamaguchi prefecture turned to industry as a way of rebuilding; within a few years, it had developed into one of the most industrialized prefectures in Japan. The increased rate of industrialization lead to more jobs for citizens and a boost to the local economy,...
A unique location in the Boso Peninsula, Mount Nokogiriyama stands proud and imposing above the rich green blanket of forestry that cloaks rural Chiba. Despite the mountain’s intimidating title (鋸山 ‘Nokogiriyama’ means ‘Sawtooth Mountain’) and its curiously-named Jigoku Nozoki (地獄覗き, View of Hell) Viewpoint, the mountain is actually a relatively simple hike, with the extra...
Situated just a few hours from the bustling streets of Kyoto by rail lies the coastal city of Obama. Considerably quieter and smaller than its tourist-centric neighbour, Obama remains, for the most part, relatively undiscovered by visitors. Yet, what this city lacks in size it more than makes up for in history and charm. While...
Chichibu The Chichibu region, situated in Saitama Prefecture, comprises Chichibu City and the towns of Yokoze, Minano, Nagatoro and Ogano. Located around 80 kilometers from the centre of Tokyo, Chichibu can easily be reached by car or train within just two hours. Despite the close proximity to Tokyo, Chichibu’s stunning rural, mountainous beauty and rich historical...
Bakumatsu Bakumatsu is the Japanese phrase used to categorize the pivotal years at the end of the Edo era (1603-1868). The Chinese characters for Bakumatsu signify “the end of the Bakufu”. This was the end of Tokugawa Shogunate, who ruled Japan from 1600 to 1868. What partially resulted in the decline of the Tokugawa Shogunate...
A land of mystery, spirituality and tradition awaits you in Chichibu, the Kanto region’s hidden gem. Join pilgrims past and present as you weave your way across Chichibu’s beautiful rural landscape, delving deep into the rich history and culture that makes this such a unique and unforgettable location. Chichibu is home to 34 temples, included...
Here at Heartland JAPAN, we specialize in arranging authentic tours of Japan for clients from around the world, and this time we helped this group from Spain to spend 12 days traveling around Japan’s beautiful countryside.
Check out this glowing review that we recently received from one of our customers, Jane Estrella, who travelled around Japan's Yamaguchi Prefecture with her husband on one of our custom tours!
