Archive: February 2017

Taisho Era: Komazawa Water Towers

Former Shibuya Municipal Water Towers Nestled in a quiet, upscale corner of Setagaya in Tokyo finds the Komazawa Water Towers which hail from the late Taisho period. The towers were completed in the March and November of 1923 the same year as the...

Hiking in Japan: Why Insurance Matters

Japan Rescue Organization Hiking Accident Statistics One of the hazards of outdoor recreation such as hiking, camping, mountain biking or skiing is that it entails an element of risk. For solo adventurers such as myself, the level of risk is even...

Hossawa Falls in Winter

Hossawa Falls on a Wintry Morning During a previous visit to the Hossawa Falls in early spring a few years back, splendid greenery complemented Tokyo’s most renowned waterfall. This time was a little less joyful, arising at the crack of dawn on a...

3 Abandoned Schools Near Tokyo

Final Roll Call for these Rural Saitama Schools Abandoned buildings are commonplace in rural villages across Japan but a certain sadness must come when a school bell rings a final time. School closures serve as a veritable canary in the coal mine as...

Archives