Shodoshima | Kagawa
A small island with gorgeous environs and an astonishingly productive history, Shodoshima is as worthy of interest as its neighboring art islands.
A small island with gorgeous environs and an astonishingly productive history, Shodoshima is as worthy of interest as its neighboring art islands.
Four centuries of continuity is remarkable enough. But, while sheer longevity is undoubtedly noteworthy, Asahiyaki, or Asahi ware, stands out from traditional Japanese ceramics in other ways.
Of all the things to be admired about Japanese culture, food is an area of playful experimentation and audacious creativity. So wherever you land in Japan, it’s best to prepare your palette and arrive with an appetite.
Udon stands shoulder to shoulder with ramen and soba to form the “big three” in the world of Japanese noodles and is the heftiest of the group. But not all udon is the same. Depending on the region, udon noodles can vary in thickness. Its taste can also vary due to regional differences in dashi soup stock.
Within Japan, discriminating palettes know where to find the best of the best sushi. And no, it is not in Tokyo’s legendary Tsukiji fish market, along Kyoto’s Kamo River, or somewhere in an Osaka backstreet (a city rightfully nicknamed “Japan’s kitchen” for its food obsession).
The sandwich is a ubiquitous category of Western food. They are everywhere, can contain practically anything, and can be eaten anytime. The Japanese adopted the sandwich, took everything they loved about it, and made it theirs.
Unlike Uchida-san’s soft-spoken demeanor, her art is known for leaving lasting impressions. Her aesthetic, known as “landscape,” has a pale color gradation befitting the visual spectrum of a distant planet more than anything earthbound. There is an element of mystique to it, like a dream, of something not belonging to this world though it is entirely of this world.
“When I was a kid, I remember going into the forest with my dad and cutting down a tree. He mourned it with flowers. He told me that we received the tree’s life, so our work should respect the life of the tree. “
Zaborin sets itself apart as a ryokan by uniting the particulars of modern luxury travel with the tradition of Japanese self-rejuvenation; one’s well-being syncs with the grand Hokkaido environs and the full hospitality of the ryokan.
Zenagi is a three-room hotel designed in a large, centuries-old farmhouse that is as exclusive and luxurious as it is tasteful.