Tsumugi silk is the result of a labor-intensive artistic weaving style that is prized for its supple softness and unique designs.

The Kaminosato Museum in Hitachiomiya has a gallery of products made with Nishinouchi Washi and offers workshops for visitors who want to try their hand at papermaking or learn more.

Yabusame is a traditional samurai martial, involving shooting an arrow at a target from the back of a horse galloping at full speed. I attempted to learn this in one day. And so can you.

Spending a few hours, or even a day, at Meihodo, a complex of Edo-style buildings and gardens in the Mt. Aso caldera of Kyushu's Kumamoto Prefecture, is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in samurai culture.

Herbs and other botanicals with healing properties have been used for medicinal purposes in Japan for centuries. I had a chance to learn more about the historical cultivation of such plants, and make my own blend for tea, at Oyaku-en in Aizu Wakamatsu.