Nestled in a peaceful countryside town, Nyoirinji Temple is my favorite temple in the Fukuoka area, second only to the…
The Place of Exile: From Ovid to Jo Shapcott
This is the introduction and conclusion to a 10,000-word thesis which was submitted in the final year of my degree…
Plum Wine at Dazaifu Tenmangu
Tenmangu shrines exist across Japan and are dedicated to the spirit of the scholar Michizane Sugawara, the Shinto god of…
Archaeology, Naginata, Calligraphy, Wagashi, a 12-course feast, Zen meditation etc : all in one weekend in Matsuura
Early on a Saturday morning, I embarked on my adventure to Matsuura, a city bordered on three sides by mountains…
Yanagwa’s Ohina-sama parade
Through generosity, serendipity and confusion I spent the day as a princess in Yanagawa’s Ohina-sama Water Parade. Yanagawa is an…
Isla May Phillips 