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Inawashiro Castle (猪苗代城 Inawashiro-jō) is a mountain castle (平山城 hirayamashiro) in Inawashiro, Fukushima. It is also known as Kamegajō (亀ヶ城) and was designated a Historic Site of Fukushima. History: In the early Kamakura period, Sawara Yoshitsura (佐原義連) of the Miura clan (三浦氏) was given the...

Tokyo Skytree is the tallest structure in Japan. It is 634 metres, making it the world's tallest free-standing tower. It was opened to the public in February 2012 and has since become one of Tokyo's most popular attractions. The structure is almost twice the height of Tokyo Tower and provides...

Originally published 18 October 2006 Seventies returnees Southern All Stars (サザンオールスターズ, Sazan Ōrusutaazu) is a Japanese rock/pop band. They released their debut single, "Katte ni Shindobaddo" (勝手にシンドバッド), on 25 June 1978 and have been on the charts ever since. With over 200 million albums...

Taira no Masakado, a member of the Kanmu Taira clan, was the son of Taira no Yoshimasa, a provincial lord in the Kantō region. In 939, Masakado organised a rebellion and attacked the government post of Hitachi (modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture), capturing the governor of the province. In the same...

Tokyo Gate Bridge (東京ゲートブリッジ) opened on February 12, 2012, and connects Wakasu (若洲), an area of reclaimed land at the southern tip of Kōtō-ku, with Jōnanjima (城南島), another reclaimed island just north of Haneda Airport, thereby technically spanning Tokyo Bay. The construction took almost ten...

Kōban (交番), Japanese “police boxes”, are the ubiquitous urban police stations of Japan. Kōban are located next to train stations, shopping centres, busy intersections, and residential districts. Originally called hashutsusho (派出所, “despatch station” or “local police station”) in urban areas and...

The Edo-Tokyo Museum is closed for renovation until the end of 2025. Designed by the renowned architect Kikutake Kiyonori, the Edo-Tokyo Museum (江戸東京博物館) was modelled after traditional stilted warehouses of the kurazukuri (蔵造り) type. It is located in Ryōgoku, Sumida-ku, right next to the...