Hiking Japan’s Hidden Sacred Mountains
Over two thirds of Japan is covered with mountains. These icons of the local landscape offer valuable resources and destinations for hikers, skiers and snowboarders, but also serve...
Article Archive
All Be Wa articles, beginning with the most recent.
A Deeper Dive into Biwako at the Lake Biwa Museum
On a recent family weekend outing, I made my second visit to the Lake Biwa Museum ( 琵琶湖博物館 or Biwako Hakubutsukan ) which provided a fun afternoon for...
A Slice of the Sword Life
Shiga’s small town of Gokasho is famed for offering visitors a snap shot back in time to when wealthy merchants inhabited the area. Yet among the museums and...
Diversity in Nagahama
Kanpai! Ganbei! Saúde! Cheers! On January 16th, I attended a New Years Party at Onion Restaurante in Nagahama. However, this was not your typical Japanese restaurant or party...
Personalizing Your Hatsumode Experience at a Shrine or Temple
From omikuji to praying after a donation, there are many things to do during Hatsumode, your first Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple visit of the year. This first...