History and travel records

I started this year's historical walk with a visit to Takasaki's ancient tombs, but before I knew it, the end of the year was upon us, and I had been planning to explore the ancient tombs on the opposite bank of the Tone River. Gunma Prefecture is lined from west to east with the famous mountains of Myogi, Haruna, and Akagi. The Tone River, which flows between Haruna and Akagi, splits vertically and gradually flows eastward as it enters Maebashi city. Akagi Shrine, esteemed a

Ieyasu's second son, Yuki Hideyasu, was adopted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi after the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute (1584), but after Yodo-dono gave birth to their first child, Tsurumatsu, Hideyasu was adopted by Yuki Harutomo after the Siege of Odawara (1590). In order to win over Ieyasu, Hideyoshi married off his sister (Asahihime) and also offered his mother (Omandokoro) as a hostage, but it was probably necessary to strike a balance by wanting to adopt Hideyasu, who could have

Yabakei is the general name for the gorge that unfolds in the upper and middle reaches of the Yamakuni River, and is a scenic spot with many different faces, created by the erosion of the large amount of pyroclastic flow deposits (welded tuff) from a major eruption that occurred one million years ago. This time, we visited the famous Hitome Hakkei, where countless stone pillars standing like grave markers and gaps in the cliffs are covered with trees of various colors. Rai Sa

I have only ever been to Ryogoku to watch sumo, but I decided to take a walk around the quiet Ryogoku area on a weekday when there was no sumo tournament. As November approaches, NHK's taiga drama series is reaching its final stretch. The protagonist of "Berabou," Tsutaya Juzaburo, is in his twilight years, and the story will depict Edo after the fall of Matsudaira Sadanobu. The script and cast are excellent, but what's particularly noteworthy right now is the comedian Kukki

Mt. Daisen has been quiet since it last erupted over 20,000 years ago and is now classified as a dormant volcano. It is a famous mountain that can be seen from anywhere in western Tottori Prefecture, but the mountain's body has a complex shape due to collapses caused by eruptions and lava domes from underground, and it looks completely different depending on the angle from which you view it. Looking up from Masumizu Plateau, it looks like twin mountains. From the top of Yonag

The Yamanobe Road is said to be the oldest official road in Japan, and runs along the mountain edge on the southeastern edge of the Nara Basin. The reason it is on a slightly elevated area is that much of the Nara Basin was wetland and swampland during the Kofun period, and going back even further, it was a lake during the Jomon period. The ancient tombs and shrines along the road tell the story of this area being the birthplace of the Yamato nation, and it's fun to walk alon

Kofuku-ji Temple was originally the family temple of the Fujiwara clan, and was a large temple complex that took over 100 years to build...

Two valleys (Kiso Valley and Ina Valley) run vertically through southern Nagano Prefecture, with the Kiso River flowing to the west and...

While living in Tokyo, one tends to think that Kamakura is close and one can go there anytime, but I decided to take a leisurely walk...

Taga Castle was built in the early Nara period (the first year of the Jinki era, 724) as an administrative center and a military garrison...

Fushimi is the lowest point in the Kyoto Basin, located at the confluence of the Katsura River, which flows through Kyoto City, the Kamo...

Asama is an archaic word meaning volcano, originally called "Asama" and then "Sengen" from the Middle Ages onwards, and coupled with the...

The road heading south from Itoigawa to Hakuba and Omachi is known as the "Salt Road," and salt and seafood have been transported there...

The Matsumae clan, the only feudal lord in Ezo (Hokkaido) under the feudal domain system, originally called themselves the Kakizaki clan,...

The ancient Echigo Province capital was located in Fushiki, Takaoka City, in the western part of Toyama Prefecture. Nearby is the...

Last time, I traveled around Tohoku, following in Basho's footsteps, on what I called "the shortcut to the depths," ten years ago. While...