Outside Tokyo: Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Japan is an archipelago less than 4% the size of the United States yet has the world’s third-largest economy. Tokyo, its capital since 1868, is on the island of Honshu, bordered by Chiba, Saitama, and Tokyo Bay.
Read MoreTwo days in Chiba, Japan
Chiba is one of Japan’s forty-seven prefectures (a district similar to a state) in the Kanto region, bordering Tokyo on the eastern coast of Japan. Naritasan Shinshoji, one of the most important Buddhist temples in Japan, is a fifteen minute downhill walk from the train station past little shops in 300 year old buildings along Omotesando (Front) Road.
Read MoreMt. Nokogiri aerial ropeway and the Buddhist temple Nihonji
About 70% of Japan is covered by forested mountains. We took the aerial ropeway up Mt. Nokogiri, in Chiba’s city of Kyonan, and enjoyed a spectacular view of Tokyo Bay. This was a stone quarry in the Edo period, and for over a thousand years monks trained here.
Read MoreNaritasan Shinshoji Temple and Omotesando Road, Chiba, Japan
Chiba is a microcosm of traditional Japan that is easily accessed from Tokyo or the airport. From traditional shops in centuries-old buildings to ancient temples, it’s a place of serenity, excitement, and cultural immersion just outside the bustling city.
Read MoreTokyo: tradition meets the future
Tokyo, its capital since 1868, is on the island of Honshu in the Japan archipelago, bordered by Chiba and Saitama prefectures and Tokyo Bay.
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