2024 Kanji of the Year in Japan

On December 12, 2024, the “Kanji of the Year” was announced at Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto. The kanji “kin” (金) meaning gold or money, won the popular vote, reflecting how the public felt it symbolized Japan in 2024. 

Several significant events contributed to its selection. One reason is the impressive gold medal haul by Japanese athletes at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics during the summer. Japan won 20 gold medals at Paris 2024, placing it third in the medal table. 

Another reason is the achievements of MLB superstar Ohtani Shohei, who won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers and earned his third MVP award. This season was among his finest, marked by several remarkable accomplishments. 

The registration of Sado’s Island’s gold mines as a UNESCO World Heritage Site was also cited as a significant reason for choosing this kanji. The former gold mines on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture are the latest addition to Japan’s ever-growing list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

Lastly, along with all the positives above, there were some negatives. These include the political money scandal that has rocked Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. A series of robberies involving “shady” part-time jobs, and the impact of inflation on household finances also contributed to the selection of this year’s kanji. 

Overall, 2024 was a year of highs and lows for Japan, marked by sporting success, new World Heritage Sites, scandals, and economic troubles. Here’s to hoping for a wonderful year ahead in 2025!

Kyoto Shinjo Castle

A great discovery was made this week in Kyoto with archeologists uncovering the remains of Kyoto Shinjo Castle (new Kyoto Castle) for the first time.

Kyoto Shinjo Castle was constructed in 1597 by samurai warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), one of the three great unifiers of Japan. It was the last castle he built before his death in 1598.

Researchers conducting excavation work unearthed stones walls and a moat belonging to the castle on the grounds of the Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace on May 12.

The castle was known to have existed due to it being mentioned in written documents, but no physical trace of it had been found until now. The techniques used to construct the castle wall will provide some good insight into the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568-1600) of Japanese castles. 

Excavated stones walls from Kyoto Shinjo | Image: The Mainichi

Kyoto Shinjo Castle was destroyed in 1600 just before the greatest samurai battle in history at Sekigahara, which decided that fate of Japan for the next 260 years. Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace was constructed over its remains in 1627 as the retirement home for Emperor Go Mizuno after his abdication.

Stone wall at Kyoto Shinjo Castle | Image: The Asahi Shimbun

The castle was built close to the Imperial Palace to cement the Toyotomi court rank of Chancellor of the Realm and Imperial Regent “kanpaku” (chief advisor to the emperor). Hideyoshi ruled Japan in all but name and most likely built the castle, so that his infant son, Hideyori (1593-1615) could succeed his titles upon his death.

Hideyoshi was worried about other daimyo (feudal lords), especially Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) gaining control of the country after his death.

It will be interesting to see what they decide to do with this amazing new discovery.

Screen Painting of Kyoto Shinjo Castle | Image: The Asahi Shimbun

Japan in 8K

Japan is an amazing country full of contrasts from natural landscapes to high-tech modern marvels. Most of us have seen Japan from the ground but taking a look above from the air gives you a totally new and different perspective.

Armadas, a video production company based in Japan recently released a stunning 8K video which captures the beauty of Japan from above. The video highlights major tourist attractions such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokohama, Nagoya and Hakodate. Some of the amazing sights include:

Hakodate, one of the main cities in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island is the gateway to this wild & rugged northern frontier. The city is famous for its dramatic night views from the top of Mount Hakodate and Fort Goryokaku, which was Japan’s first western-style fortress.

Yohohama is a lively port city south of Tokyo that was one of the first Japanese ports opened to foreign trade. This video beautiful captures the Minato Mirai 21 area of Yokohama, which is a seaside urban area that features many large skyscrapers including the Landmark Tower and Queen’s Towers as well as the colourful Cosmo World Ferris Wheel.

Nagoya is a manufacturing and shipping hub in central Japan that was a key player in Japan’s economic revival. The city is home to one of Japan’s best and most historic castles as well as some amazing modern architecture such as JR Central Towers, Midland Square and the Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers.

Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital is home to some of Japan’s most important temples and shrines. The Kyoto Station area features some interesting architecture with Kyoto Station one of the largest buildings in Japan and a shopping and transportation hub. Kyoto Tower is a rocket poised for takeoff on the doorstep of the station and a popular landmark.

Tokyo is Japan’s modern capital and is the world’s most populous metropolis. The city is home to some of Japan’s best architectural marvels from the twin towers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Building in Shinjuku to the iconic Tokyo Tower, regarded as the symbol of Tokyo. Tokyo Skytree towering over the city at 634 meters is the new modern symbol of Tokyo and one of its best landmarks.

Take a look at this video from Armadas and sit back and enjoy the show from above.

Kifune Shrine - A Hidden Gem of Kyoto

Kifune Shrine is a hidden gem of Kyoto tucked away in a rural village near Kurama in the mountains of northern Kyoto. This charming shrine is full of history and natural beauty, but is often overlooked by tourists on their travels in Kyoto due to its remote location.

The ancient shrine is only 30-minutes from downtown Kyoto, but it feels like a world away from the hustle and bustle of Kyoto with its calm and tranquility.

Kifune Shrine is probably most famous for its stone staircase which is lined with beautiful red wooden lanterns. A walk up the well-worn staircase to Kifune Shrine’s main hall will take you away to another time and place and is truly a magical experience.

Kifune Shrine Staircase | Photo: Chi King on Wikimedia Commons

According to legend, a goddess traveled in a boat from Osaka all the way up the river into the mountains north of Kyoto. The location of where her boat journey had come to an end was honoured by building a shrine on the sacred site.

Kifune Shrine enshrines the god of water and rain and at 1,600 years old is actually older than Kyoto itself. The shrine received Imperial patronage during the early Heian period (794-1185) and as such was a place that imperial envoys used to visit in order to pray for rain. It wasn’t just royalty that visited the shrine, farmers and sake brewers also traditionally paid homage to pray for rain in order to grow good crops.

The First Torii Shrine Gate | Photo: Yanajin33 on Wikimedia Commons

If you are looking to escape the summer heat of Kyoto, which is one of the hottest places in Japan during mid-summer, the shrine is an oasis due to its fresh mountain air and cool stream which help to keep the grounds cool and comfortable.

In summer, many restaurants and ryokan (traditional inns) in the area serve meals out on platforms built over the cool pure mountain water of the Kibune River. This style of dining is called kawadoko in Japanese, and is a relaxing way to enjoy a traditional kaiseki meal and beat the heat.

Kawadoko Along the Kibune River | Photo: 663highland on Wikimedia Commons

If you are planning to visit Kyoto, definitely put Kifune Shrine down on your list of places to visit. 

Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume II Book Review

The second volume of John Einarsen’s delightful little picture book, Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume II has recently been published by Kyoto Journal. The book came about from a hit photo series on Instagram which focused on the charm and visual richness of seemingly ordinary structures in Kyoto. This photo series led to the first edition, Small Buildings of Kyoto being published in 2017.

Kyoto Journal is an award-winning quarterly English magazine founded in Kyoto in 1987 with the goal of presenting cultural insights from Japanese and Asian culture.

The Book’s Content 

Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume II is a great insight into the real buildings and architecture of Kyoto that usually don’t make it into the books and travel guides about this historic city.

Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital is famous for its masterpieces of Japanese architecture and UNESCO World Heritage Sites with many of its buildings listed as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.

While the buildings in this book might not have the stunning beauty of these national treasures, they do have their own charm and beauty through their quaint and quirky characteristics. Each building has its own story to tell, offering you a fascinating insight into the way Kyotoites live today.

My View 

Why I really like this book? It is compact and full of beautiful colour photos that highlight the enduring charm of Kyoto’s everyday architecture.

The colour photos in the book are not of the iconic postcard-worthy attractions of Kyoto such as Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion) and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, but the everyday buildings that make up the urban fabric of the city.

I love the range of buildings covered in this book that showcase a mix of influences with some dating from the pre-war Taisho era (1912-1926) and others an interesting hybrid of textures, materials and shapes.

One thing that I really admire about Japanese architecture is how they get the most out of working with limited space to create elegant and graceful structures.

The best way to really get out and explore Kyoto is on foot by walking through the backstreets and tucked-away neighbourhoods that offer you the magic of the everyday charm of modern Kyoto.

This book is perfect for anyone looking to get some real insight on the everyday life of modern Kyoto. The quirky, humble and endearing buildings in the book reveal another side of Japan’s ancient capital city.

About the Writer 

The author, John Einarsen is a photographer and long-term resident of Kyoto. Originally from Colorado, he fell in love with Kyoto on his first trip there and settled down there in the early 1980s. He is the founder editor of Kyoto Journal and has served as an advisor to the Japan Times.

Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume II is available now from the Kyoto Journal Website.

Houses and Gardens of Kyoto Book Review

Living in central Japan, Kyoto is one of my favourite places to visit with its deep history and traditional architecture. Kyoto is considered by many to be the cultural heart of Japan with its ancient shrines, temples and Zen gardens.

The city has managed to survive many of the wars that have affected Japan and even a lot of its modernization in certain areas, giving us a time capsule of Japan’s rich architectural and cultural history.

The Book’s Content 

Houses and Gardens of Kyoto takes you on a journey via over 500 photos of traditional Japanese architecture and gardens spanning the centuries. The book features a variety of traditional Japanese houses, from aristocratic summer villas, temple residences, and merchant townhouses, to ryokan inns, private retreats and tea houses.

The book covers Kyoto’s traditional houses from every period of the city’s history and their associated outdoor spaces, which come in many forms from courtyard gardens and picturesque stroll gardens to “dry landscape” stone gardens and “borrowed scenery” gardens that make use of distant landscapes.

My View 

Why I really like this book? The beautiful photos make the book almost feel like a photo album, but it doesn’t stop there as the informative text turns the book into a fascinating historical study of Kyoto.

The book is split into six chapters with each exploring a style of traditional Japanese house which include aristocratic villas, temple residences, merchant townhouses, traditional ryokan inns, private retreats and tea houses.

It is easy to read and flick through with its compact size and the beautiful images really show you all the finer detail of Japanese architecture and garden design. I like how each house has a brief description under the name telling you about its location, when it was established and who it was built for, or its owner. The text is very informative and tells you all you need to know about each of the fascinating houses. The detailed map at the very end of the book allows you to pinpoint where each house is located in reference to the other in Kyoto.

I checked out the new hardcover edition which is a smaller and more compact version of the original book, which is perfect for me as a traveller and photographer on the go. This new edition also contains a new forward by architectural historian, Matthew Stavros, which places these exquisite houses within the broader context of Japanese history.

About the Writer 

The author, Thomas Daniell is a practicing architect, originally from New Zealand, who has been living and working in Kyoto since the early 1990s. He is a contributing editor for the architecture journals Mark and Archis and is widely published.

The vibrant collection of photographs is from Akihiko Seki, a photographer born in Tokyo, who has spent over 20 years working outside of Japan. Since taking early retirement, he has traveled with his wife and cameras throughout Japan and Asia. He is the photographer and author of Asian Resorts and also photographed and co-authored Ryokan: Japan’s Finest Spas and Inns.

Houses and Gardens of Kyoto is a great collection of exquisite classic Japanese houses and garden styles that will serve as a lasting inspiration to anyone interested by Japanese architecture and design.

Houses and Gardens of Kyoto is available now from Tuttle Publishing.

Personalised Kit Kats in Japan

Kit Kat is huge in Japan and a popular souvenir among the many visitors to Japan every year with a wide variety of exclusive seasonal and regional flavours on offer. A new vending machine in Kyoto now gives you the chance to personalise your own Japanese Kit Kat.

The fancy vending machine is located in the “Omiyage Kaido” (Souvenir Highway) inside JR Kyoto Station near the west entrance. The unique and one of a kind Kit Kats are called “Travel Memories Kit Kat” and will only be available for a limited time.

The vending machine allows you to print one of your own images via your mobile phone onto a pack of Uji Matcha Green Tea Kit Kats, creating a personalised memento of your travels in Japan. The pack even comes with a special stand inside the box allowing you to beautifully display your personalised Kit Kats. The whole process is quick and easy, taking just five minutes to create your own box of Kit Kats.

A box of personalised Japanese Kit Kats

 How much does this amazing personalised Kit Kat cost, I hear you ask. It costs just 400 yen (USD$3.50) to use the service, which include the box of Matcha Kit Kats. This unique service is only available for a limited time until mid-April 2018. Remember to give it a try if you are in Kyoto and hopefully it can spread to other locations around Japan.

Nestle Japan 

Rare Craft Matcha Green Tea from Japan

Material Matcha Uji, one of the most disruptive tea companies of recent years, launch their unique craft Matcha green tea after a year of patient development and hard work.

Material Matcha Uji (MMU) produces insanely good Matcha Green Tea. Collaborating with traditional tea-masters and using ancient, nearly forgotten blending techniques with the highest quality tea leaves from Uji, MMU creates the most exclusive blends of matcha ever offered to the world.

From corporate jobs to the fertile lands of Uji 

Material Matcha Uji is the brainchild of two Frenchmen & longtime expats in Japan, foodies at heart, who after years in finance & IT gave up their big corporate jobs to go on a quest for purity: to find and create the greatest matcha green tea ever.

The Founders, Morgan & Etienne

Etienne Denoual, co-founder at MMU, explains: “It all started from a deep wish to reconnect with nature and authenticity. When I went back to Kyoto, a city I had lived in for years before, it was a revelation. We just had to do it.”

The Team at Material Matcha Uji

Becoming a tea-maker 

Making high grade Matcha is no walk in the park. Indeed, they faced serious issues: while so-called matcha is booming worldwide (it is often low quality green tea dust), its production has seen a steep decline in Japan. Farmers are facing increasing expenses, weak demand for superior quality matcha, and lower sales value. Even more worrying, the aging tea-making community faces successor problems, endangering its very existence.

Grinding Green Tea

The two founders, who willingly admit that two years ago they knew next to nothing about tea-making, and were both rather coffee people, took a fresh look to the issues and devised an innovative development model: if superior matcha doesn’t work in the domestic market anymore, they would take it abroad for the first time, where foodies are thrilled by Japanese delicacies.

Rare Craft Matcha 

Their matcha blends, the result of more than a year of hard work in the fields and in their workshop, are uncompromising, bold, sophisticated, and probably unlike anything you have ever tasted before. Straying from the very classical image of Japanese tea ceremony, their craft matcha belongs to the realm of guilty pleasures, not unlike artisanal chocolate or micro-distillery whiskey.

Green Tea fields of Uji in Kyoto

Because Matcha is a precious and pure material, they package their blends in different raw materials honoring the minimalism of Japanese craft & culture. "We consider our packages and vessels as something one lives with, a celebration and everyday ceremony of the purity of Matcha." explains Morgan Josset, co-founder.

Material Matcha Uji Vessels

Support their Kickstarter's Crowdfunding campaign 

Backed by a devoted community and now ready for production, they are asking backers to help them buy a whole year of harvest of several plots of land that are especially promising. Providing tea farmers financial stability and peace of mind, they push them to always favor quality over quantity, and hope that younger generations will one day take up the torch!

You can help support their Kickstarter Crowdfunding campaign by visiting the following link https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/materialmatcha/rare-craft-matcha-green-tea-from-japan

Traditional Tatami-Style Starbucks to Open in Kyoto

Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto is famous for its many tourist attractions ranging from historic temples, colourful shrines, and sublime gardens. Now, it can add a new one to list with the world’s first traditional tatami-style coffee shop under the global Starbucks brand.

The announcement this week by Starbucks Coffee Japan Ltd., the Japanese arm of global coffee giant Starbucks Coffee Co, is already creating buzz over the internet here in Japan, with the store to officially open on June 30, 2017.

Starbucks coffee will be served in traditional “tatami” floor rooms in a 100-year old Japanese-style machiya wooden townhouse.

The new traditional Starbucks in Kyoto

The two-story townhouse is conveniently located near the UNESCO World Heritage listed Kiyomizu-dera Temple, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Kyoto.

The new shop can be found along Ninen-zaka, a historic street lined with traditional Kyoto shops which leads from Kiyomizu-dera to Kodaiji Temple.

Ninen-zaka Historic Street in Kyoto

Starbucks Coffee Japan Website

A Stay at Kujo Stays

We were lucky recently to stay in a fantastic machiya (traditional wooden Kyoto townhouse) accommodation in the heart of Kyoto. Kujo Stays is a set of 4 Japanese style townhouses that gives you a taste of real Japanese style accommodation and lifestyle with their authentic look and feel. Machiya are great because they combine all the advantages of a vacation rental with the authenticity of a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn).

The rooms at Kujo Stays are very quiet, peaceful and comfortable, allowing you to concentrate on the important things in Kyoto which are all the historic temples, colourful shrines and sublime gardens.

Machiya style accommodation at Kujo Stays

Located a short 5 minute walk from JR Kyoto Station, Kujo Stays is also conveniently located near a big AEON Shopping Mall. If you are looking for a bit of culture and history, make sure to check out the UNESCO World Heritage, To-ji Temple, which is only a 10-minute walk from the accommodation.

Kyoto Station

The temple which served as one of the guardian temples of ancient Kyoto is home to Japan’s tallest wooden 5-storey pagoda, as well as Japan’s most famous flea market which is held on its serene grounds on the 21st of every month.

The UNESCO World Heritage To-ji Temple in Kyoto

Kujo Stays features rooms with traditional Japanese machiya style décor such as tatami-mat floors, folding screens and hanging scrolls as well as basic furniture such as chabudai (Japanese low tables) and tansu (Japanese chest of drawers), along with Japanese ornaments and decorations such as pottery and ceramics.

Beautiful Japanese style ceramics and decorations at Kujo Stays

The rooms at Kujo Stays are minimalist and very spacious which is great for families with kids or for those looking for a traditional Japanese experience. The futon bedding is comfortable and safe for children. We didn’t have to worry about kids falling out of beds at all.

Spacious rooms at Kujo Stays

Along with the traditional Japanese rooms are mod-cons designed to make your stay all that more comfortable. The essentials are all there such as heating, air conditioning, flat-screen TV, FREE WiFi, and private bathroom/shower. We also really loved having kitchen facilities as well as a washing machine to keep on top of the dirty laundry that starts to pile up after a few days of sightseeing.

The kitchen facilities include a microwave, fridge and all the kitchenware necessary to make your stay away from home as pleasant as possible.

I also like the fact the once you have picked up your room key from nearby Ebisu Ryokan, you are free to come and go as you please without the need to drop off the key whenever you want to go out.

The highlight of the stay for me was the beautiful Japanese style Zen garden which can be found in all the Kujo Stays townhouses. Designed by the owners Mr & Mrs Shimamoto, the enclosed courtyard gardens are illuminated at night to create a magical atmosphere.

Japanese style Zen garden at Kujo Stays

The property is managed by Global Network, who also own the nearby Ebisu Ryokan where we picked up the key to our room. Although there are no staff onsite at Kujo Stays, the friendly staff at Ebisu Ryokan are happy for you to stop by with any questions you may have. The staff can speak a multitude of languages including but not limited to English, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, and of course Japanese. In fact, the onsite manager is a fellow Aussie who has spent the last 10 years working in both China and Japan, including several years in my hometown of Gifu.

Yours Truly with Mr & Mrs Shimamoto and the onsite manager

Kujo Stays might appear to be a little more pricey than say your typical accommodation, but it is definitely worth the money for the fantastic location, facilities and spaciousness. I hope you will pay them a visit the next time you are in Kyoto. Just remember to tell them that John from Japan Australia sent you.

Kujo Stays 

Address: 8 Higashikujo, Nakatonodacho, Minami-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 601-8048
Phone: +81 75-574-7100
Website: https://www.agoda.com/kujo-stays/hotel/kyoto-jp.html

November 2012 on Japan Travel Advice

November has been another great month on Japan Travel Advice. We managed to cover some of my favourite places in Kyoto as well as build upon our content.

The site will continue to expand, and in the meantime, please enjoy a recap of our new articles for November 2012.

Please feel free to visit the site and leave a comment or rate any of the sights you see.

Kanazawa Castle

Kanazawa Castle was built in 1583 by the powerful Maeda clan and is located in Ishikawa Prefecture. It is right next to Kenrokuen Garden, which originally formed the private outer garden of the castle. Kanazawa Castle is classified as a hilltop castle. Read More

Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Kiyomizu-dera Temple was first built in 798 and is considered one of the most famous landmarks of Kyoto. The name Kiyomizu-dera literally means “Pure Water Temple” and it takes its name from the pure waters of nearby Otowa Waterfall. It is located in the hills east of Kyoto and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Read More

Nijo Castle

Nijo Castle in Kyoto was built in 1603 as the official Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu. It is not your typical Japanese castle, but more of a palace style castle. Nijo Castle was constructed as a demonstration of the shogun’s power and prestige and to signal the demise of the emperor. Read More

Heian Jingu Shrine

Heian Jingu Shrine has a short history but is still considered a must see attraction in Kyoto. It is a rarity as a modern shrine in Kyoto, which is famous for its shrines, which are hundreds of years old. It was built in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto.  Read More

Teatopia Festival in Kyoto

The two day Teatopia Festival in Kyoto, will be held on Saturday November 3rd to Sunday November 4th. The 茶源郷まつり or Chagenkyo matsuri is an ancient agricultural festival that has been held annually for almost 30 years.

There will be tea from 30 tea farms including tea from India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea, and all over Japan. There will also be tea culture and seminars featuring tea soap making, history of tea and Wazuka, kabuki theatre, tea ceremony and tea storytelling.

Some amazing tea inspired food will be available including Matcha Curry, Green Tea Sweets, and Ochazuke (rice with tea).

Event Information 

Date / Time: Sat November 3rd – Sun November 4th 2012 from 10am to 4pm
Location: Green Tea Wazuka Town, Kyoto
Address: 35 Hazama, Shirasu, Wazuka Town, Soraku, Kyoto, Japan
Price: Admission is FREE

Note: A shuttle bus to the event location will be available from JR Kamo Station

Kyoto Japan

Kyoto (京都) is one of the must see places in Japan on any trip. With more than 2000 shrines and temples, Japan’s former capital is considered the home of culture and history in Japan. The absolute minimum amount of time you should spend in Kyoto is two days but more is highly recommended to fully experience what the place has to offer.

The must see places in Kyoto include:

Inaugural World Tea Farms Festival

The Inaugural World Tea Farms Festival is a must see event you should schedule in to your calendar for March. It’s a 2 Day Festival celebrating tea from around the world. There will be tea from 30 tea farms including tea from India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. The tea from Japan will feature tea from Wazuka, Shizuoka, Yame, Kyoto, Nara and many more.

The event will be held on Saturday March 10th – Sunday March 11th from 10am to 4pm.