Unfortunately this tank has moved and the museum has apparently closed. When Frank Buckles passed away in 2011, with him went the last first-hand accounts an American Soldier could give of World War I. He was the last living doughboy.…
The Great Stone Buddhas of Mount Nokogiri
In Chiba prefecture, far from the traditional cultural centers of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara, there is a temple complex called Nihonji. The temple is located on the side of a sacred mountain amidst an old rock quarry and has…
Meet Frank
This Ki-84 / Army Type 4 Hayate (Allied reporting name “Frank”) fighter is inside the Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots, the largest and most comprehensive kamikaze museum in Japan. I shot this as part of an upcoming story about…
Josiah Harlan: Soldier, Spy and Suzerain
Today we’re doing something a little different and will be looking at an odd historic figure who pioneered the whole “Americans visiting Afghanistan for fun or profit” thing. Josiah Harlan was born a Quaker and eventually became an Afghani warlord…
Odawara Castle: The Rise and Fall of the Hojo
By: Dave Hansche I’ve written about several castles on this blog thus far, but it has occurred to me that I have overlooked a large rebuilt castle in a pleasant city about an hour away. I’ve visited Odawara…
A Candle-lit Walk in Kawatana: Katashima Taketoro Matsuri
Wandering around a candle-lit ruin in a memorial to the dead was the perfect way to spend the evening before Halloween, though it’s not as spooky or somber as it sounds. The second annual Katashima Taketoro Matsuri (Katashima Bamboo Lantern…