How to Navigate a Japanese Washlet Toilet
If you're confused by all the buttons on a modern Japanese toilet, we're here to decipher all those mystifying symbols.
Hoshinoya Fuji: The Glamorous Outdoors
Don't be fooled by Hoshinoya Fuji's claim to be a 'glamping' resort. This is nothing less than the height of luxury in the woods!
Mount Fuji's Northern Gateway
Said to date all the way back to the year 110, Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine marks the entrance to the Yoshidaguchi climbing trail on the north side of Mount Fuji.
Zuzuya: Ink Talismans at a Fuji Pilgrim's Inn
With a history of some 400 years, Zuzuya is one of only two pilgrim's lodgings in Kamiyoshida still offering rooms to Fuji worshippers preparing to climb their sacred mountain. It's also a great spot to make an ink talisman from an Edo Period wood block!
The Subtle Difference Between 'Yes' & 'No'
Un! Uun! Un? Three words that sound awfully similar but have totally different meanings.
Drink With Geisha For an Affordable Price
Foreign guests welcome at lobby lounge function that sidesteps the cost and pretense of orthodox geisha services.
Togawa Oshi House: Lodging for Fuji Pilgrims
'Oshi' houses traditionally provided lodging for worshippers preparing to ascend Mount Fuji. Reaching their peak in the 19th century, a number of these houses can still be seen in Kamiyoshida in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Enter the 'Womb' of Mount Fuji
This system of caves beneath the surface of Mount Fuji are believed to represent the womb of Konohana Sakuya-hime, the goddess of the mountain. And you can climb right inside!
