First snowcap · 30 October 2026 The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed Mt Fuji’s first snowcap of the 2026–27 winter on the morning of 30 October. See the visibility forecast →

Shrines & Temples

Shrines and temples worth the detour: quiet mountain halls, city sanctuaries, pilgrimage paths, and how to visit them respectfully.

Nara Autumn Leaves 2026: 10 Places Plus Yoshino and a Day Route

OCT. 30, 2026Nara Park's Japanese maples usually peak from late November to early December, says Nara…READ

Tofukuji Temple, Kyoto: Tsutenkyo Bridge, Autumn 2026 Hours, Fees and Access

OCT. 27, 2026Tofukuji's autumn period runs 14 November to 6 December 2026: Tsutenkyo bridge opens at…READ

Mount Koya (Koyasan) Guide 2026: Getting There, Okunoin, Temple Stays and Autumn

OCT. 21, 2026Mount Koya from Osaka: Nankai's ¥1,430 train and cable car, the only two weekday Koya ex…READ

Yamadera, Yamagata: The 1,015 Steps, Autumn Colour and Getting There

OCT. 20, 2026Risshakuji (Yamadera) from its own pages: 1,015 stone steps, about 1 hour 30 minutes up…READ

Lesser-Known Kyoto Autumn Temples and Shrines: 9 Places with Access and Crowd Notes (2026)

OCT. 7, 2026Nine temples and shrines from my list of 54 lesser-known places in Kyoto, all with autum…READ

Kyoto’s Temple Natto: Daitokuji, Ikkyuji and Keihoku’s Sticky Legend

OCT. 6, 2026Daitokuji natto has no strings: soybeans fermented with koji mould, salted and sun-dried…READ

Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine: Where Fuji-kō Pilgrims Began the Climb

OCT. 6, 2026The shrine at the foot of Mt Fuji's Yoshida Trail and element 1-6 of the Fuji World Heri…READ

Mount Mitake, Tokyo: Guide to the Rock Garden Loop, Musashi Mitake Shrine and the Cable Car

OCT. 3, 2026Mount Mitake in western Tokyo: JR, bus and cable car from Shinjuku, the trails the Visit…READ

Suwa Taisha: All Four Shrines, and Why the Order Does Not Matter

SEP. 9, 2026Suwa Taisha is four shrines with no head shrine and no set order. The Upper Shrine is so…READ

Kamakura Power Spots: the Money-Washing Cave and the 49-Torii Fox Valley

SEP. 5, 2026Two of Kamakura's best luck shrines share one wooded valley: wash your money at Zen…READ