Hyogo Archives - VOYAPON

Japanese Pottery Craft Culture in Hyogo’s Tamba Ware

When I was a kid, my mother thought it was best to keep my brother and I occupied with a myriad of craft-making camps and workshops that filled our summer vacations. What probably started as a crafty (cough, cough pun intended) idea to keep a…

March 19, 2020

Traditional Japanese House Umetan FUJI, Tamba-Sasayama

Posted by Mika Senda

Staying At a Traditional Japanese House in Tamba Sasayama’s Umetan FUJI

“Watch out for those deer!” I whispered, as a herd suddenly skipped across the road in the dark. It was a moonless night in Hyogo prefecture’s Tamba Sasayama (丹波篠山) as we headed to our accommodations at Umetan Fuji for the night. Our guide Michiko however,…

March 14, 2020

Soba Buckwheat noodle set menu in Izushi Castle town in Hyogo

Posted by Mika Senda

Soba Noodles Eating Tour in Izushi Castle Town, Hyogo

“Itadakimasu!“ With my stomach already dangerously at capacity, I dove into my last order of soba (buckwheat) noodles in the Japanese castle town of Izushi (出石). As my favourite go-to cold noodle dish during the summer months in Japan, I’m normally a bottomless pit when…

March 13, 2020

Mika at A Private Onsen Spa at Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei

Posted by Mika Senda

Indulge in the Regional Flavors and Private Spa at Kinosaki Onsen

I might not have been the image of grace stomping along in my inch-high geta sandals. But it completed my yukata and onsen hopping outfit, as I clip-clopped along the willow-lined canal of Kinosaki Onsen (城崎温泉). With the luminous lantern lights bouncing off the Ohtani…

March 13, 2020

Posted by Mika Senda

Chasing Rainbows and Facing Fears at Takeda Castle Ruins and Ikuno Silver Mine

I have a confession to make: I hate haunted houses. As a kid, the looming fear that something would come to life and jump out at me from the dark terrified me to the core. So you can imagine my surprise, when I first entered…

March 13, 2020

Tourists walking down Fukusumi district of Tamba-Sasayama

Posted by Mika Senda

The Entrepreneurial Spirit of Tamba Sasayama Castle Town

It was a day of wind and rain — not exactly the ideal weather for a photoshoot in Hyogo Prefecture’s (兵庫県) Tamba Sasayama (丹波篠山市). Home to a rich 400-year old history, this Japanese castle town includes a unique pottery culture, a contemporary castle, and perfectly preserved…

March 13, 2020

Posted by Eimi

Tunnel Hike on the Old Fukuchiyama Railway!

In southern Hyogo Prefecture, between Kobe and Osaka, the old JR Fukuchiyama Line has emerged as a popular hiking trail for adventurous locals. The abandoned railway meanders along the beautiful Mukogawa Gorge (武庫川渓谷), and this fascinating hike offers picturesque views of the gorge, a chance to walk through…

June 15, 2019

Posted by Voyapon

Es Koyama: A Japanese Chocolatier with Childlike Imagination

Sponsored by Sanda City In the small town of Sanda, which lies north of Kobe, as the city stretches into the mountains of Hyogo Prefecture, there is a complex of small, cozy and comforting boutique shops. An enchanting perfume of melted chocolate and baking cakes emanates from the ovens of…

October 31, 2018

Posted by Kelly Nagata

Lunch at Kobe Shushinkan, A Renowned Nada Sake Brewery

Kobe Shushinkan Brewery (神戸酒心館) is one of the favorite places that I like to show visiting friends and family. Situated in the heart of the historical Nada-Gogou (灘五郷) sake producing region, Shushinkan offers a quick glimpse into the region’s history and basic sake-related information for…

April 9, 2017

Posted by Kelly Nagata

Mikage, Kobe – Granite, Luxury Real Estate and Ghibli

Mikage, Kobe, is a quiet neighborhood that has been historically known for production of granite, or “Mikage-ishi” in Japanese. The area is viewed as luxury real estate by the locals, and is lesser known as being the backdrop of Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no Haka).

July 30, 2016