Bonsai, the art of planting and tending to miniature trees in pots, is a noteworthy offshoot of Japan’s vaunted gardening culture. Bonsai gained worldwide notice in the 1970s, and its popularity only continues to grow.

The Sagano Scenic Railway runs the popular sightseeing train known as the Sagano Romantic Train, which takes you on a seven-kilometer journey between Kyoto’s Arashiyama district—a tourist spot in the Sagano area famous for fall foliage—and Kameoka.

Registered as a Natural World Heritage Site in 1993, Yakushima’s Yakusugi have flourished for over ten centuries, and the islanders have revered these cedar giants as sacred since ancient times.

Frenchwoman Samantha Lassaux is a sales manager for Meiji Shrine’s event hall, known as the 'Meiji Kinenkan.' Lassaux talks about her work at the historic venue, which was built in the Meiji Period and originally served as a state guesthouse.

At the dawn of the Meiji Period, three young girls were sent to live in the United States to experience American education and society firsthand and bring their knowledge back to Japan.

Tonkatsu—the breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet so popular with the masses—was originally one of many Japanese twists on Western recipes imported to Japan. Learn the history of tonkatsu according to the first restaurant in Japan to put the dish on its menu.

Well-known essayist and painter Toyoo Tamamura and his wife live in Nagano Prefecture, where they run a winery and restaurant. He talks about his new life and work styles, the late life lessons he’s discovered and his plans for the future.

Known as 'shoyu' in Japan, soy sauce is ubiquitous in Japanese cuisine, whether it’s being drizzled on roasting corn or adding flavorful depths to vegetable, fish and meat dishes.