The Tokyo Imperial Palace (皇居, Kōkyo, literally ‘Imperial Residence’) is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the main palace (宮殿, Kyūden), some residences of the Imperial Family, an archive, museums and …
Welcome to the Sawanoya Ryokan. This traditional Japanese inn, located in Yanaka, near Tokyo’s Ueno district, offers tourists a relaxing stay in a rustically attractive residence. Sawanoya Ryokan, which has been in the service sector for more than 70 years, offers pleasant living in a warm, welcoming environment. Sawanoya’s interior is just as welcoming as …
You can almost probably find anything in nature if you can think of it. Some species pretend to be other species, live inside or on other species, survive in hot sulfur springs, the deep cold, inside snow, inside other species, and even hunt and store other species for later use. At least 45 species of …
The two southernmost main islands of Japan, Kyushu and Shikoku, have warmer weather than either Honshu or Hokkaido. Shikoku and Honshu are divided by the Setonaikai, or Inland Sea of Japan, which has more than 3,000 islands and was created from an old rift valley. Today, Japan is unique in that its climate is distinctly …
Although the issue itself extends back millennia, awareness of the effects of invasive alien species on Japan’s biodiversity has grown over the last few decades. However, introduced insects, plants, parasites of food crops and trees, and pathogens cause far greater harm to the environment than do animals such as the North American Raccoon, Bluegill and …
One animal in Japan would win two medals if they were given out for extremes: one for maybe being the ugliest animal in the entire planet and the other for being one of the two largest amphibians still alive. The most well-known members of the amphibian family, including frogs, newts, and salamanders, usually have a …
Japan is a spectral nation. There may be ghosts waiting for us close to temples, shrines, and cemeteries, but only the Grey Ghost haunts the mountains of Japan. Sharp eyes, patience, and effort are needed to find the lone Grey Ghost. The stocky “goat-antelope” known as the endemic and secretive Japanese Serow is a grizzled, …
It is thought that the last wolf in Japan died off in 1905. There are some tales of wolves existing into the 1930s, while others claim they persisted up until the extensive habitat devastation and deforestation that occurred during Japan’s post-Pacific War economic rebound. Constant reports of canid sightings in wild regions fuel widespread skepticism …
Bears are the two largest terrestrial mammals in Japan, however their ranges do not cross or overlap in that country. Brown Bear is found in Hokkaido, a region in the north of the nation, north of Blakiston’s Line, an essential biogeographical boundary, as well as beyond the Tsugaru Strait. The home range of the Asiatic …
Osaka, which is usually pronounced just “Osaka,” is a designated city in Japan’s Kansai prefecture on the island of Honshu. The third most populous city in Japan, after Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama, it serves as the capital and largest city of Osaka Prefecture. It is also the largest part of the Keihanshin Metropolitan …