People have long said that the warm climate of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four major islands, is not suitable for making sake, and it is therefore predominantly a shochu-producing region. Geographically, the island of Kyushu can be roughly split into north and south along the prefectural border of Miyazaki and Oita, with that line…
Mount Haguro is a holy place of such atmospheric dimensions with its towering, 600-year-old cryptomeria that one might imagine–or just as easily believe–the spirits of the mountain are quietly watching all who pass through their wooded realm. There are plenty of believers on the 2466 stone steps leading to the top. Some are travelers who…
Nikkô, whose shrines and temples earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999, has greater name recognition than the prefecture of Tochigi which it calls home. It’s similar to how more people around the world are more familiar with, say, Chicago than Illinois, or Sydney than New South Wales. Such is the nature of iconic locales.…
Tochigi Prefecture is well-known for the internationally famous tourist spot Nikkô. It is also known in Japan as a region that produces a wide array of vegetables and fruit, in particular, strawberries. In recent years it has been garnering increasing popularity as a key region for sake fans as well. Like its prefectural neighbors of…