10 things Sensei wants to do in Japan \ stacker news ~Travel

Firework festivals in Japan are an attractive tourist attraction in their own right. Add to the dazzling displays pristine snow - and the idea of attending the Nagaoka Yukishika Festival in Nagaoka, Niigata intrigues me. Winter is bitterly cold in Niigata, but I bet that, enveloped within the warm embrace of the human crowd and immersed in the adrenaline firing up the crisp cold air, it will charge my spirits!
The Ishikawa Prefectural Library showcases four areas - one for each cardinal direction that have a design based on the 5 distinctive colours used in Ishikawa’s traditional Kaga Yuzen dyeing. This impressive design is unified by a massive circular atrium.
I want to bear witness to the largest tug of war event in the world. Registered in the Guinness Book of World Records, the Naha Giant Tug of War is a feast for the eyes, with people tugging on ropes that are joined to the main rope weighing some 40 metric tons. The entire rope is 200 metres long!
Pineapples are rare in Japan, so exploring Nago Pineapple Park in Okinawa should be an unique experience just to observe how these tropical fruits like papayas and pineapples - common in my part of the world - enjoy exalted status in Okinawa. Apparently, pineapples were washed ashore from a wrecked Dutch ship off Ishigaki Islans in 1866.
Visiting the 300-year-old Koka Ninja House in Shiga Prefecture should give me a whale of a time as it is fitted with ingenious traps and devices aimed to prevent and confuse intruders. I will enjoy the atmospheric vibes evoked by this authentic dwelling - the original home of Mochizuki Izumi No Kami! Revolving walls and trap doors, here I come.
Nakamura Keith Haring is an iconic New York pop artist, so it will be quite an interesting experience immersing myself in the Nakamura Keith Haring collection, an art museum located in Hokuto, Yamanashi.
Definitely want to view the ancient cedar trees in Yakushima, the spiritual forest that inspired the Ghibli movie, “Princess Mononoke”. The trees here are reputed to be at least a thousand years old - an astonishing fact when you consider that ordinary cedar trees typically live for 500 hundred years. This is due to the slow growth rate of these Yakusugi trees. Yakushima was formed when rocks below the ocean surface were pushed upwards, so the cedar roots cannot spread very far to absorb nutrients. Its slow rate also results in its annual rings to be tightly packed together, thus making it more durable and less susceptible to rot. In any case, seeing these relics of time before me should be a wonderful experience.
I love pairing my sushi and sashimi with wasabi, so visiting a wasabi farm in Ikadaba, Shizuoka should yield me lotsa endorphins. Since wasabi cultivation has persisted for five centuries in Shizuoka, I expect to learn lots from the local farmers.
The thatched-roof houses in Shirakawago, Toyama were built in the eye-catching Gassho-zukuri style of construction. Did you know that all these roofs were intentionally constructed to face east so that the massive snowfall that descends upon them will have the highest chance of melting when the sun shines its rays every morning? What an ingenious show of smarts by the natives!
Would relish the chance to visit the MORI Building Digital Art Museum, for it promises a memorable experience like no other. It not only leverages a three-dimensional place replete with projections, but also makes use of human movements to trigger artistic effects, thus ensuring that everyone experiences it in a delightfully idiosyncratic manner. The iridescent radiance will ignite feelings of awe and wonder within you!

Very interesting, so many places and events I didn't know about in that post. I'm going to read some more of your posts about what to do in Japan. I'm planning a trip to Japan for the end of next year (2026).

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei OP 2 Nov

I had you in mind when I posted this. Wow you have been following this series for a year, huh? (In spite of the huge gap between this posting n the previous). I’m glad the needle has moved n you will travel to Japan next year! Hit me up if you have questions about the planning!

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @DP0604 9h

It's incredible how many places each country or continent has, so rich in both culture and history. I hope the universe lets you fulfill all your plans. I'm still far away; I live in South America.