Pillow Talk Japan

Taiyuin Mausoleum, a Story with many Shoguns

Following the example of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who asked his descendants to build a shrine for him (Toshougu Shrine from Nikko), Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Ieyasu, left instructions for a mausoleum. So the Taiyuin Mausoleum was built in 1653 by the following shogun, the son Tokugawa Ietsuna, and the result was this masterpiece of [...]

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The sacred peak that is slowly dying

The peak known as Mt. Misen sits midway along a route often traversed by followers of Shugendo, or mountain asceticism, as they cross the jagged Kii Mountain Range on their pilgrimage. At 1,895 meters, the mountain stands tall amid the peaks that dot the Omine Okugakemichi route of the Omine cordillera that snakes its way [...]

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Himeji Castle undergoing repairs

A massive renovation project dubbed Heisei no Daishuri (Heisei great repairs) has begun at Himeji Castle in Himeji, which has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The project is expected to take 5-1/2 years and to include such work as mending roof tiles and the walls of the main castle tower. About [...]

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China, Japan honoured by UNESCO heritage board

China and Japan swept the board of additions to the United Nations’ list of cultural treasures on Wednesday, accounting for nearly half of the ancient customs and handicrafts honoured by UNESCO. Japan saw 13 additions, many of them folk dances and processions, from an annual float-ceremony in Kyoto to a seventh-century rice harvest ritual from [...]

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