Asuka Fujiwara– category –

Omiwa Shrine is said to be the oldest shrine in Japan. It stands in the Nara Basin, at the foot of Mt. Miwa. No one knows exactly when it began. Tradition links it to the reign of Emperor Sujin, a ruler from a time when history and legen...

When I bring guests to Asuka, I always tell them the same thing before we start walking: forget what year it is, just for today. Within a few minutes, it is gone. There are no tall buildings here, no glass towers, nothing modern breaking...

Modern life is comfortable. We live in concrete buildings, turn on the air conditioning when it gets hot, and renovate our homes to suit the way we live today. That is why I find Imai-cho so remarkable.For more than 200 years, its histor...