Susan Spann's Blog, page 6

A Late Spring Hike on Hakone’s Ashinoko West Bank Course

In late April, I headed south to Hakone for a repeat hike of the Ashinoko (Lake Ashi) West Bank Hiking Course. I hiked this trail last spring, too--and although this year I was too late for the sakura (cherry blossoms), any day you can see Mt. Fuji from the trail is an excellent day to hike.

In the Land of Shmoo…

I am now officially 1,200 photos “behind” in terms of posting, and at least thirty times that many “behind” on my promise to get on top of the image backlog before the end of 2022. (Important, because of a new project I’ll unveil later in the year.) While I’m down the rabbit hole, please accept this photo of Shmoos in Fog. (Taken at the Teamlab Planets exhibition last weekend.) On the positive side, I’m making progress on the photos and on a new novel I’m quite excited about. I hope to be able to share more about that in the

A Traditional Kaiseki Meal in the Heart of Kyoto’s “Floating World”

During the Golden Week holidays, I took a three-day trip to Kyoto, during which I booked a meal at Tousuiro, reputed to be one of the best restaurants in Kyoto. The experience proved to be every bit as spectacular as promised.

“Into the Green” on Golden Week in Japan

It’s my week to blog at Murder is Everywhere, so I’m sharing some photos from my recent Golden Week trip to Kyoto. What’s Golden Week? Click the link and you’ll know!

Discover the Secret Icicles of Narusawa Ice Cave in Yamanashi’s Suicide Forest

A few weeks ago, I took a visit to Narusawa Ice Cave, in Aokigahara (Japan's famed "suicide forest"), to see the massive natural icicles that form there, underground.

Kosatsuba – Japan’s Medieval Billboards

social classes, and since so many travelers passed through them, they were also excellent places for the Shogunate to post important news, new laws, and edicts, to ensure as many people as possible would see them.

How a Sparrow Saved the Shogun

Medieval Japanese history might have taken an entirely different course, but for one big decision by one small bird.

The First Sakura of 2022!

I took these pictures of the first cherry blossoms of 2022 on the grounds of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, a Shintō shrine in Kamakura, last weekend.

A Modern Twist on an Ancient Rite of Spring

This week, I'm blogging at Murder is Everywhere - and sharing a modern twist on an ancient Japanese rite of spring.

Living (Near) History in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward

While walking in my neighborhood a few years ago, I came up a little temple with a lovely grove of ume trees inside the outer gate. As it happens, this temple--called En'yū-ji--is 1,200 years old, and home to the oldest wooden building in Tokyo.