Junenji Temple is of a modern design from 1993 of the Jodo-sect (one of the most widely practiced sects of Buddhism in Japan which dates...

The summer of 1862 was a time of blood letting on the streets of Kyoto due to assasinations orchestrated by an Imperial Loyalist from...

Hiromu Nakai was born Yokoyama Kyunoshin in Kagoshima, (Satsuma Domain), in 1838. Although born into a Samurai class family, Nakai had a...

Not far from the Sennyu-ji Temple in Kyoto is an Imperial graveyard called the Kuni-no-Miya, Kaya-no-Miya Cemetery. The Kuni-no-Miya and...

In 1864 the Choushu rebels had planned to set fire to the Imperial Palace and kidnap the Emperor. Their eventual plan was to have the...

HIDDEN PATHS - Walking Historical Kyoto has been busy recently! There haven't been any new blog posts for a couple of weeks but that...

Think of Kyoto and what comes to mind? Buddhist Temples, Shinto Shrines, kimono's, tea, bamboo forests and mountains, the list goes on....

Everyone in Japan knows Sakamoto Ryoma, and most people know the role he is said to have played in Japanese history. The story of a young...

The north entrance to the famous Chion-in Temple is through the Kuromon, the Black Gate. The history of Chion-in goes back to the 12th...

The Maruyama kofun tomb marks the burial place of 4th century Crown Prince Uji no Wakiiratsuko. So why is there a tombstone for the man...

The new Uji Historical Tea park was originally due to be completed and open in July (2021) but having visited the site recently, although...

In this post, we step over the Kyoto border into neighbouring Shiga to visit the remains of an Edo Era castle and PARANORMAL KANSAI spot....

As you wander around Kyoto it is easy to miss some of the scars of history that the city still bears. Because of the battles that have...

We've all seen the wooden boards at numerous locations of historical or cultural interest in Kyoto (and other places), describing in...

Who were the Fujiwara and why were so many of them buried in such high status? Featured in HIDDEN PATHS - Walking Historical Kyoto Volume...

The first HIDDEN PATHS - Walking Historical Kyoto book was released three years ago in June 2018, this has led to four volumes in total...

You may well have heard the story of Taira no Masakado who hailed himself as the new emperor and started a revolt before being killed at...

The Ghost Candy Store Not only is there a ghostly tale surrounding this small business, but it also claims to be the oldest candy store...

This truly is a Hidden Path, what dark story can be discovered beyond this gate and down the alley? Kanawa-no-i, a dried up well with a...

As this is the 20th HIDDEN PATHS blog post it seems a good opportunity to mark this mini-milestone with a glimpse behind what goes into...