You can see Japanese traditions all across the country, but the Chubu region of Japan (in central Honshu, Japan’s main island) is especially interesting. I discovered traditional industries and architecture that are unique to specific areas, learned about a popular festival, and participated in centuries old customs.
Sword forging in Seki. The city’s 700 year swordsmith tradition is the basis for its modern kitchen knife industry.
Visit a Gassho House and Make Washi Paper in Gokayama
Nanto Municipality, Toyama Prefecture
A visit to Gokayama will have you feeling like you stepped into a Japanese folktale. Traditional thatched roof farmhouses, known as gassho-zukuri, are clustered in small villages throughout the region, their steep roofs resembling hands held in prayer. Some of these gassho houses have been turned into museums or family run inns, welcoming travellers to experience a traditional farmhouse stay.
Admire the Senmaida Rice Terraces Illumination
Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture on the Noto Peninsula
One thing I’ve noticed during my trips to Japan is that the Japanese love to hold illumination events, dressing up popular attractions and landmarks with dazzling light displays.
One such illumination is Aze no Kirameki (“Twinkling of the Ridges”), an annual event that transforms the Shiroyone Senmaida rice terraces into a seaside maze of colourful lights.
Stroll Kanazawa’s Higashi Chaya District in a Kimono
Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
Higashi Chayagai is the largest of Kanazawa’s three preserved teahouse districts. Its cultural interest dates back to the Edo Period, when geisha would regularly perform Japanese arts for guests in the many chaya (teahouses).
In Higashi Chayagai today, you will still find a few teahouses that are open to the public, along with some cafes and shops housed inside the historic wooden buildings.
Taken from: travelyesplease.com
