Speak of Japan and places likes Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Takayama spring to mind. All these places are on the main island of Honshu. There is an island in Japan that is steeped in history, has wonderful natural wonders (like volcanoes), is renowned for food & festivals and yet it is less visited.
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Australians have great wine and the knowledge of wine often causes confusion when considering Sake. Just like wine there is a very large choice. Some sake has pronounced fragrance and yet others have almost none at all. Sake offers a range from dry to quite sweet and yet another dimension is the way the alcohol/acidity gives an instant hit to the palate or offers a gentler address to the palate.
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Ask a Japanese person what they believe paradise is and almost universally the response will be being in an onsen, especially an onsen with a beautiful view of nature. So, what is an onsen?
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July 7th is called Tanabata or Star Festival in Japan. The star festival is celebrated in the streets of cities and towns all over Japan. We were fortunate enough to be in Asakusa (Tokyo) on the 7th of July and experienced the fun and colour of a parade and decorated streets.
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Some of the oldest pottery in the world was discovered in Japan. It has apparently been carbon dated as 16,000 to 17,000 years old. That is much older than the ones from Mesopotamia, originally perceived to be the birthplace of pottery.
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