Japan Glossary

Shitamachi (下町) means "low town" or "downtown." During the Edo period, shitamachi described all districts lower than Edo castle, in opposition to Yamanote (山の手) or "upper town" (note the name of the JR Yamanote line, which encircles the Imperial palace or former Edo Castle). Shitamachi...

Nagasaki (pop. 407,000) is one of the most well-known Japanese cities for Westerners. That is where the first Europeans arrived in the 16th century, but also the only port that remained open to foreign trade during Japan's two-and-a-half centuries of seclusion. Finally, it is where the second...

Uwajima is a small and laid-back town of Uwajima (pop. 70,000) located in the middle of Shikoku's West coast, on the railway line between Kōchi and Matsuyama. Uwajima (宇和島市 Uwajima-shi) is a city located in Ehime Prefecture. As of 1 September 2022, the city had an estimated population of...

Matsue (pop. 200,000) is the capital of Shimane prefecture, one of Japan's least densely populated regions. Matsue (Japanese: 松江市, Matsue-shi) is the capital city of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 202,008 (1...