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Japan Travel

Yasuyuki Aono kept track of bloom dates for Yamazakura cherry trees in Kyoto.

In Japan, a New Steward for 1,200 Years of Cherry Blossom Data Has Been Found, Sustaining a Climate Change Research Project

Climate scientist Yasuyuki Aono, who died last summer, learned to read ancient Japanese script to compile records on peak bloom dating back to the ninth century C.E.

Kiyoshi Kimura, known as the "Tuna King," poses with the record-breaking bluefin tuna.

See the Record-Breaking Bluefin Tuna the Size of a Grizzly Bear That Sold for $3.2 Million at a Tokyo Fish Market

The 535-pound fish, purchased by Japan’s self-proclaimed “Tuna King,” was sliced and shipped to sushi restaurants across the country

Smithsonian magazine's picks for the best books about travel of 2025 include Adventures in the Louvre, On the Hippie Trail and Things Become Other Things.

The Best Books of 2025

The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2025

These top titles of the year conveniently bring the world and its many perspectives to us

Nestled in Kyoto, Kiyomizu-dera is a historic Buddhist temple with a rich history spanning around 1,250 years.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

These 15 Gorgeous Photographs Illustrate the Ancient Beauty of Japan

From tranquil temples to the bright lights of Tokyo, look at images that capture the “Land of the Rising Sun”

Almost like an arrow, the somewhat triangular shape of the architectural framework points this pedestrian in the right direction.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Appreciate Awesome Architecture With These 20 Photos

No passport is needed for this virtual tour of beautiful buildings around the world

The production of knives flourished in Sakai due to the rich history of traditional metal processing techniques.

The Japanese City Known for Making Knives That Are a Cut Above

Ninety percent of professional chefs in Japan buy their knives in Sakai. TikTok users are spreading the word, and demand is skyrocketing, as international tourists want in on the action

Vincent Willem van Gogh’s Studio, Kuwakubo Toru, 2015

These Powerful Paintings Show Why van Gogh Fell in Love With Japan—and Why Japan Fell in Love With van Gogh

A new exhibition examines how the Dutch artist drew inspiration from Japanese art. It also explores how he influenced 20th- and 21st-century Japanese painters and photographers

A view of a snow-covered Mount Fuji from Fujiyoshida in Japan.

Japan’s Mount Fuji Has Now Remained Snowless for the Longest Time in Its 130-Year Record

After a summer that tied for the country’s hottest, meteorologists say an unusually warm autumn is delaying snowfall

Guests play a throwback "Donkey Kong" game with an oversized controller at the Nintendo Museum.

Nintendo Switches Things Up With a New Museum That Embraces Nostalgia and Celebrates Gaming History

The Kyoto museum will feature interactive exhibits, gaming artifacts, workshop spaces and oversized controllers inspired by iconic video games

The Toshodaiji Temple, an eighth-century Buddhist site in Nara, Japan

Teenage Tourist Carves His Name Into 1,200-Year-Old Temple in Japan

The UNESCO World Heritage site is one of several historical landmarks around the world to be vandalized this summer

A candlelit dinner in Scandinavia

Mimi Sheraton’s 10 Most Memorable Meals

From dinner by candlelight in Denmark to Peking duck in China, the celebrated food critic reveals her most memorable culinary experiences

On the island of Dejima, European traders could interact with the Japanese, but with a few (carefully escorted) exceptions, they were barred from continuing on to mainland Japan.

The Wild West Outpost of Japan’s Isolationist Era

For two centuries, an extreme protectionist policy barred foreigners from setting foot in Japan—except for one tiny island

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The Sake Master Who Bucks Ancient Tradition—in America

The ancient Japanese art of brewing a fragrant alcoholic drink from rice is being reinterpreted by Atsuo Sakurai in an unlikely setting

A female macaque relaxes at Jigokudani. The Japanese word means “hell’s valley,” after the volcanic activity that heats the springs.

What Japan’s Wild Snow Monkeys Can Teach Us About Animal Culture

Scientists have been studying the primates at some of the nation’s hot springs, and what they have learned about evolution is astonishing

Spanning 92 feet across the Daiya River, the nearly 400-year-old Shinkyo Bridge serves as the sacred gateway to Nikko and the Toshogu Shrine complex.

The Way of the Shogun

Looking for the soul of modern Japan on an ancient road once traveled by poets and samurai

The Games will now take place in the summer of 2021.

Covid-19

Amid a Pandemic, Olympic Committee Postpones Summer Games Until 2021

Delaying the Games for a year is considered by many to be the best course of action for public health

The Chiba cliff section along the Yoro River in the city of Ichihara shows traces of a reversal in the Earth's magnetic field.

The ‘Chibanian Age’ Is the First Geologic Period Named After a Site in Japan

The period is named for Japan’s Chiba prefecture, where a cliff shows evidence of the most recent reversal of Earth’s magnetic field

Untitled image from Restricted Residence

Nearly a Decade After Fukushima, Photos Capture Residents’ Bittersweet Return

A new photo series titled “Restricted Residence” features 42 thermal images of locals and their changed landscape

The October 31 fire destroyed seven buildings and was probably started by an electrical fault.

Volunteers Digitally Revive Japan’s Shuri Castle Following October Fire

The group is seeking one million images in order to create a high-quality reconstruction

This aerial picture shows Shuri Castle after a fire ripped through the historic site in Naha, Japan's southern Okinawa prefecture, on October 31

Fire Ravages Japanese Heritage Site Shuri Castle

The castle, first built more than 500 years ago, was seen as a symbol of the dynamic Ryukyu Kingdom

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