Golden Week, that is an irreplaceable holiday for Japanese people. From the end of April to the beginning of May, there are some public holidays and this is a big chance to travel both abroad and domestic or just go out for many Japanese people. Take advantage of that opportunity, I went to “Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum” in Koganei city, Tokyo during Golden Week. “Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum” was opened in 1993 as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Edo-Tokyo Museum Annex to relocate, reconstruct, preserve and exhibit historical buildings of great cultural value that are i ..read more

The number of foreign visitors to Japan in March of this year exceeded 3 million, a record high, and the inbound boom is at its peak. The background to this is the recent depreciation of the yen and the promotion of the attractiveness of Japan’s tourism resources, but the government’s efforts include the “Basic Plan for Promotion of Tourism-Oriented Nation” (Inbound Recovery Strategy) based on the “Basic Act on Promotion of Tourism-Oriented Nation” enacted in 2007. This is likely due in large part to the policies these governments have pursued to date. In fact, promoting policies aimed at bec ..read more

In Japan, we celebrate “Children’s Day” on 5th May. In 1949, it was designated as one of the national holidays to “respect children’s character, promote their happiness, and give thanks to their mothers. Children’s Day is a day to wish for the future growth and happiness of children, and at the same time to thank their mothers (or parents, we can say). Also, 5th May is the “Tango no Sekku (Boy’s Day)” a day to celebrate the boy’s splendid growth. “Tango no sekku” was an event originally from China. In ancient China, where it originated, people prayed for good health by hanging irises and mugwo ..read more

I visited the Kyoto Railway Museum, one of the largest railroad museums in Japan, with the theme of “discover, touch, and experience.” With this visit, we have now visited all three major railway museums in Japan, along with the Railway Museum in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, and the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture! The Kyoto Railway Museum is located a two-minute walk from Umekoji Kyoto Nishi Station on the JR Sagano Line. It is one of the largest railway museums in Japan, and was grand-opened on April 29, 2016 after about seven years of preparation, following ..read more

Azabudai Hills, which opened on November 24, 2023 (Fri), is a complex facility built around the concept of “Modern Urban Village – a town like a plaza surrounded by greenery that connects people”. It is not only a commercial facility, but also an office, a hotel, a residential complex, and an international school. On February 9, 2024 (Fri)MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: Epson teamLab Borderless, which was located in Odaiba until the end of August 2022, relocated and opened. We visited a more powerful teamLab Borderless with new works of art. It is located on the first basement floor of Azab ..read more

Toyota, Japan’s world-class automaker, is an indispensable player in the global automotive industry, with record annual production in 2023 and a global automotive market share of more than 10% in 2023. The Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture, was established in April 1989 as one of the commemorative projects for Toyota Motor Corporation’s 50th anniversary. Although the museum is called the “Toyota” Museum, it is not only a facility to learn about the history of Toyota Motor Corporation, but also a museum that traces the evolution and culture of cars around the world. Ac ..read more

Toyota, Japan’s world-class automaker, is an indispensable player in the global automotive industry, with record annual production in 2023 and a global automotive market share of more than 10% in 2023. The Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture, was established in April 1989 as one of the commemorative projects for Toyota Motor Corporation’s 50th anniversary. Although the museum is called the “Toyota” Museum, it is not only a facility to learn about the history of Toyota Motor Corporation, but also a museum that traces the evolution and culture of cars around the world. Ac ..read more

Nintendo – a video game manufacturer with fans all over the world. Did you know that its history began in Kyoto, Japan, where it manufactured and sold Hanafuda (Japanese playing cards)? Later, the company started manufacturing playing cards for the first time in Japan and developed into the largest card manufacturer in Japan. In 2022, the building that was used as a company building, warehouse, and the home of the founding family was reborn as a hotel called “Marufukuro”! I stayed at a hotel with such a unique history! The Location The Marufukuro is located in a traditional residential area, c ..read more

There are many golf course architects who are called geniuses, and Desmond Muirhead is one of them. Born in England in 1924, he studied architectural engineering at the University of Cambridge, then landscape architecture at the University of British Columbia in Canada, and horticulture at the University of Oregon in the United States before becoming a golf course designer. © Muirhead Fields His most famous work is the Mission Hills CC Dinah Shore Course (1972) near Palm Springs, California. From 2015 until recently, it was the venue for the first major LPGA tournament every spring, the ANA I ..read more

In July 2023, a new luxury hotel will open in the main area of Nagoya. It is called “TIAD, Autograph Collection.” The Autograph Collection is the Marriott Group’s carefully selected collection brand based on its uniqueness, unique story, and distinctive character and personality. “TIAD, Autograph Collection” will be the fourth property in Japan and the first in the Tokai area. The building is designed to draw in the greenery of Hisaya-odori Park, which spreads out below the hotel in a nested arrangement of green terraces, and is characterized by a structure that allows visitors to fully experi ..read more