In the mountains of Japan, above mist-covered forest, there remain the echoes of powerful ascetics, in legend bestowed with supernatural powers and shrouded in mystery. These are the Yamabushi, the practitioners of Shugendo, a form of esoteric Buddhism that incorporates many elements from Shintoism, Japan’s oldest religion. Discover Japan’s spirituality alongside one of the Yamabushi.
The perfect stay in Japan has no address. You will find it cruising in the middle of the sea. Guntû is a floating hotel that roams the tranquil waters of the Seto Inland Sea in Japan. Built to embody Japanese aesthetic ideals, you will immerse yourself in a world of calm, as you glide over the wooden surfaces and clean designs, and ever-changing vistas envelop you whole.
In the mountains of Japan, above mist-covered forest, there remain the echoes of powerful ascetics, in legend bestowed with supernatural powers and shrouded in mystery. Throughout history, some have been mountain guides, showing nobles around the sacred trails of the Kumano Kodo. Most have disappeared into myth, and their numbers have dwindled throughout history. Meet one of the Yamabushi.
Nestled between Kyoto, Osaka and Nara, Daimon Brewery is housed in a 250-year old structure. The brewery has been offering the finest sake in the region for nigh on two centuries. Recently refurbished and reopened, Daimon Brewery remains a family owned business with one big ambition: being Ambassadors for the World of Sake.
Hiking the tranquil, temple-studded peninsula south of Osaka is even more a spiritual journey than it is a physical one.
During my last trip to Japan, my great passion for the Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (who has been producing beautiful movies for decades and is considered a genius by many of his fellow animators) put me almost subconsciously in the footsteps of the landscapes shown in his main animation stories.
Japan’s locomotive legacy is near synonymous with innovation, precision and punctuality
Trends in travel come and go as seasons change, but some things remain constant.
