Category: DESTINATIONS

Winding quietly through the mountains at the western edge of Tokyo, the Okutama Mukashimichi—literally meaning the “old road of Okutama”—is a path where the rhythm of nature and the traces of human life overlap. As you walk, the sound of the river and the hush of the forest seem to carry echoes of footsteps from another time.…

Nestled in the serene hills of Mitake, Ome City, the Gyokudō Kawai Museum gazes upon the crystal-clear Tamagawa River. Here, the rhythms of the seasons paint the landscape in gentle brushstrokes: the soft light of spring, the dense greenery of summer, the fiery reds of autumn, and the quiet snow-laden vistas of winter. It was…

“Okutama is a treasure trove of nature and culture,” says Masaki Numakura, owner of Trekkling, a bicycle rental and tour shop located just a short walk from Okutama Station. Beyond the tunnels, towering formations like Inamura Rock suddenly appear, and the mysterious Nippara Limestone Cave waits quietly, maintaining a steady 11°C (52°F) temperature year-round. Rivers, waterfalls, and wasabi fields are scattered across…

In Hinode, a town blessed with the quiet beauty of Japan’s traditional satoyama landscape—the gently cultivated countryside where human life meets wild nature—stands the Tokyo Hinode Samurai Residence, a stately home once built by a wealthy village headman. Its timeless elegance has not faded; rather, it continues to draw visitors into another world and time.…

Today, most know Hachioji as the gateway city to Mount Takao, a sacred mountain peak drawing millions in search of nature and renewal. Yet beyond the famous hiking trails lies a lesser-known aspect of this city, shaped by silk, song, and the spirit of craftsmanship. From the Taisho era (1912–1926) through the postwar years of the 1950s, Hachioji flourished as a textile…

Nestled among the natural beauty of the Tama River, Lake Shiromaru, and Mount Mitake is the city of Ōme which is known for its rich scenic landscape, as well as its people who are quietly cultured and have a deep sense of nostalgia. Ōme, from as far back as the Muromachi period (1336-1568), also once flourished…

As you stroll through the streets of Tachikawa, it’s impossible not to encounter art. You can find art tucked in hidden corners and scattered across facades, quietly waiting to be noticed. Tracing the history of how art came to spread through this city leads us to a series of five books titled “From the Town”, published between 1976 and 1988. These volumes are…

The story of Akimitsu Tomonaga, an artist, begins in 1967, during the post-war era when Japanese airlines had yet to establish flights to Australia. One day, a friend working at a television station handed him a flyer about a unique opportunity—a film production company in Australia was seeking a designer to create characters for a movie centered…

In early summer, tens of thousands of visitors come to see over 10,000 hydrangeas at Minamisawa Hydrangea Mountain in Akiruno. Visitors can rest in the shade of the trees and admire the hydrangeas, which were planted by Chuichi Minamisawa. Chuichi’s family has been the landowner of the area for centuries. His solitary effort to plant…

Everyone feels a particular sense of comfort in a place they have lived for a long time. Although Hodaka Shimazu feels affinities for other neighborhoods in Tokyo, he admits that he is strangely drawn back to Kunitachi and has moved in and out of the area several times over the last 15 years. “Kunitachi has…

Makoto Takagi’s interest in visual arts was sparked by the films shown on late-night television when he was a child. Among these, he was most inspired by the Italian film Cinema Paradiso – Giuseppe Tornatore’s celebrated love letter to the silver screen. “I was particularly touched by the scene when the film was projected from…