In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry sat down with representatives of the Tokugawa Shogunate on a flat stretch of coastal land near a sleepy little fishing village called Yokohama. The Treaty of Peace and Amity agreed on at this meeting…
Ryukoji – Buddhist History in Fujisawa
If you travel to Katase-Enoshima station, near the beaches in southern Fujisawa, you might see the top of a pagoda peaking above the trees on a nearby hillside. Ryukoji is not a large temple, especially compared to the sprawling…
A visit to the Nogeyama Zoo
In the hills of Yokohama, not terribly far from the skyscrapers, shopping malls, and night life of Sakuraigicho and Kannai, there is a large hilltop park in a quiet neighborhood called Nogeyama. Large parks in Yokohama are not all that…
Chasing Birds in Yamato
Happy New Year! 2018 was a very busy, and very difficult year for me. I changed jobs, focused my free time on establishing myself as a photographer, and when I had the time, which was not nearly as often…
The Satomi Clan and the Battles of Konodai Castle
1564. Satomi Yoshihiro looked out across the Edo River at the Hojo forces arraying against him, just as his father had 26 years prior. The elder Satomi, Yoshitaka, was defeated by Hojo Ujitsuna in the first battle of Konodai and…
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal: Sarushima Battery
It’s 1854. Commodore Matthew Perry has just sailed his black ships into Tokyo bay and forced the Tokugawa Shogunate to open Japan to foreign trade for the first time in more than 200 years. The sudden appearance of…
Naritasan Shinshoji Temple – Respite Near the Airport
Dave Hansche here. It is my week to post an article, but I am really busy. Recently started a new job, photo sessions all weekend, and more upcoming this week. But I also know I’ve not been great about…
Climbing Big Mountain
It was a fine, fall Saturday – partly sunny skies, pleasant temperatures, and lingering fall colors. It was a great day for a hike, so I decided to head back to Oyama – literally Big Mountain in Japanese- a holy…
A Series of Adventures at Summers End
As many of our regular readers know, Wayfarer Daves is two photographers named Dave who enjoy writing and travel. Regulars, or those who have read past articles, will also know that we each live on different Japanese islands with…
An Exercise in Heat Exhaustion and Dehydration in Odawara
Recently I found myself with a Saturday afternoon free, so I decided to head off to do some hiking around Yamakita, in western Kanagawa Prefecture. On the way, however, while changing trains in Kozu, I found a map of…