A Zen Buddhist hall in Nara is the oldest wooden structure still in use and a century older than famed Horyuji temple previously thought to hold the crown, according to an expert in tree-ring dating. Research by Takumi Mitsutani, a visiting professor of dendrochronology at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto, reveals that Japanese cypress wood in the roof of the Zenshitsu (ze..

Do you like dinosaurs? If yes, and if you’re in Tokyo, you can admire a series of statues representing 23 dinosaur species. I discovered this expo, called The Dawn of the Dinosaurs - Dinosaur Museum in the Skies when I went to admire Tokyo from Roppongi Hills. It will be opened until September 26 and it really is “in the skies”, because it is located at 250 meters above ground, at the Mor..

It was a cloudy morning when I set out to visit Zuigakuin on Mt Takigo in Hatsukari. I’m now staying in Uenohara which is perched on a mountain. The JR station is located in the valley below on the other side of the Chuo expressway. I walked to the station below. Along the way birds of prey were circling above the mountain tops. There were very few people about. I passed a young girl walking h..

Japan’s All Nippon Airways announced it Friday it will become the first airline in the world to offer draft beer in-flight beginning Tuesday. The airline said the draft beer will cost about $11.30 per glass and 20 cups will be available on each domestic flight, except Tokyo to Okinawa flights, which will have 40 glasses, the Japan Probe reported Friday. Officials said the beer will be served u..

I’m preparing to leave for Tokyo, so for the last weeks I’ve been researching… As you know, one of my main interests are the Japanese festivals, matsuri. Some of these events are taking place on variable dates and the information available on the Internet is sometimes misleading… Two trustworthy sources are the Tokyo Tourism Info and the Japan National Tourism Organization websites. If..