In hotspots like Kyoto you sometimes have to queue for the queues, but escaping the country’s overtourism problem couldn’t be simpler ...

As far as Shinto shrines go (there are about 400 in Kyoto), this one is pretty special. Perched on a wooded hillside in southern Kyoto, Fushimi Inari is a 1,300-year-old temple dedicated to Inari ...

For those unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine, a trip to Nishiki Market can be an overwhelming experience. This bustling, five-block-long covered market is lined with more than 100 stalls, each one ...

Aioi-no-yashiro, a small shrine on the grounds of Shimogamo Jinja Shrine in Kyoto, is known to have a ... It spread from Shinto shrines to Buddhist temples and was quite popular during the ...

Japan comes alive with matsuri, festivals that celebrate local culture and traditions throughout the country. From the icy winters of Sapporo to the river walks of Osaka, every city and every season ...

While Spain's headline trail now attracts up to half a million pilgrims a year, its twin is often uncrowded and offers a ...

As you enter the heart of Kyoto’s geisha culture, you hear laughter spilling from hidden tea houses. Welcome to Gion, a district that draws you in with its traditional wooden machiya merchant houses, ...

I visited the Japanese city amid government crackdowns on ‘paparazzi tourists’ who harass working geishas. Parts of the ...

Players in colorful costumes have staged an ancient ball-kicking game called "kemari" as part of a New Year ritual at a Shinto shrine in Kyoto. "Kemari" was popular among Japanese noblemen in the ...

There are about 40,000 Shinto shrines that are called “Hachimansha” or “Hachimangu” in Japan. These are headed by Usa Jingu ...