T O R I I- your gateway to a getaway -
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Japan Airlines customers travelling on Vistara will enjoy complimentary meals and will be able to choose between three different cabins, including India’s only Premium Economy class. Japan Airlines Mileage Bank members can also earn miles when booking on ‘JL’ coded Vistara flights.
With The Okura Tokyo as its flagship, Okura Hotels & Resorts (OHR) is a hotel group with a presence in Japan and around the world. Its facilities mix Japanese traditional beauty and Western functionality, and OHR provides goods and services that strive to offer meticulous Japanese hospitality.
大坂城
One of the best Places to visit in Osaka, the Osaka Castle was
established in 1586 and was built by a famous Japanese warrior named
Toyotomi Hideyoshi. One of the largest castles in Japan, the Osaka
Castle has been reconstructed throughout the years in history due to
destruction from enemies.
Some of the major attractions of the Osaka Castle include its main
tower, which has five stories and is 42 meters tall. It also
consists of a museum where you can see exhibits about the castle and
the city’s history.
Location: 1-1 Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 540-0002
Timings: 09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.
Entry Fee: ¥ 600 per person
東京国立博物館
When visiting places in Tokyo, one can’t do without skipping a visit
to the Tokyo National Museum – the oldest and biggest of all of
Japan’s top-level museums throughout the country. The museum houses
over 110,000 pieces of historical artefacts, and over 100 national
treasures. Apart from the 4,000 things that are always on display at
the museum at any given time, you can also enjoy seasonal
exhibitions and shows focusing on various aspects of Japan’s rich
history.
Lo cation: 13-9 Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo 110-8712, Japan
Timings: Tuesday to Sunday (9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
Entry fees: 500-1000 yen
浅草
Asakusa is a small, traditional district in Taito in Japan, where
you can visit many temples, shrines, peaceful gardens and other
traditional structures that are representative of the culture of
Tokyo and Japan. If you are visiting at the right time of the year,
you can also attend the famous Sanja Matsuri festival.
While there are several places selling authentic Japanese street
food, you can also dine in the new, upscale restaurants that have
come up on the waterfront in Asakusa.
四天王寺
Looking for some historic places? The Shitennō-ji temple is your
answer. Having roots that date back to as early as AD 59, this
temple is one of the best and oldest in Osaka, in addition to being
the first Buddhist temple in Japan.
Some of the attractions of this ancient temple include the
five-storey pagoda, along with numerous other intricately designed
and decorated buildings. You can also find the Golden Pavilion here,
with many fine paintings and statues, the Lecture Hall as well as a
corridor that links multiple gates of the temple.
Location: 1-11-18 Shitennoji, Tennoji Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture
543-0051
Timings: 08:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m.
福岡城
One of the best places to visit in Fukuoka, the Fukuoka Castle is
also sometimes known as the Seki castle or Maizuru Castle. This 17th
century hilltop castle is one of the only remaining examples of the
lavish housings of the ruling elite of Japan from those eras.
While the castle today retains only a small portion of its original
structure, it is said to have covered an area of almost 47,000
square metres once. From the castle, you can enjoy impressive views
of the Naka River. You can also explore many original castle gates,
towers and turrets within the castle grounds today.
Location: 1 Jonai, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka
Entry Fee: ¥300 onwards
住吉大社
Amongst the top Fukuoka beautiful places, the Sumiyoshi-jinja shrine
is also one of the oldest shrines in Kyushu. Dedicated to the gods
that protect the seafarers, this shrine is one which sailors,
travellers and fishermen visit before heading to the sea. Surrounded
by many Japanese cedar and camphor trees, the shrine also offers
views of the Naka River.
One of the main attractions of the shrine is its Main Hall, which
has been rebuilt in its original style of 1623. You can also find
numerous important national treasures, an ancient sword as well as a
copper axe, along with old documents and manuscripts that date back
to the Middle Ages.
Location: 3 Chome-1-51 Sumiyoshi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka
Timings: 09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m.
櫛田神社
Another one of the Fukuoka beautiful places and amongst the
best-known Shinto shrines in Japan, the Kushida-jinja dates back to
AD 757. Along with intricate carvings of the Chinese zodiac and a
1000-year-old gingko tree, the shrine also has many other unique
features.
The shrine is also the place where the famous festival of Hakata
Gion Yamakasa is hosted every July. People, especially travellers,
fishermen and sailors often visit the shrine to pray for good
health, safety and prosperity on a regular basis. The shrine also
houses the tombs of the lords of the Kuroda clan.
Location: 1-41 Kamikawa Tamachi, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0026
Timings: 04:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
京都御所
Kyoto Imperial Palace was the former ruling palace of the Emperor.
After the Meiji Restoration in the year 1869, the Emperors have been
residing at the Tokyo Imperial palace while the Kyoto palace is
preserved.
It is definitely one of the must visit places to see in Japan as it
offers loads of insights about the bygone era and offers picture
perfect views of the Nijubashi Bridge.
Location: 3 Kyoto Gyoen, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, 602-0881, Japan
Timing: September & March: 9:00 - 15:50 (Last admission); 16:30
(Closing time) October - February: 9:00 - 15:20 (Last admission);
16:00 (Closing time) April - August : 9:00 - 16:20 (Last admission);
17:00 (Closing time)
伏見稲荷大社
Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine is considered to be the head shrine of
the Kami Inari. The shrine is famous for its vermilion torii gates
which formed a network of trails behind the main building.
As per legends, foxes are believed to be the messenger of Inari and
for this reason, you will also come across a number of fox statues
across the shrine grounds.
Location: 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchicho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0882,
Japan
Entry Fee: 600 yen for adults and 300 yen for children
厳島
Itsukushima which is also known as Miyajima is a small island in
Hiroshima Bay that is very much popular for its forests and ancient
temples. The shrine was initially constructed in the 12th century.
Heading over to one of the beautiful places in Japan, you will also
get a chance to visit the Museum of History and Folklore, which is
home to some of the cultural artifacts that date back to almost the
19th century.
Location: 1-1 Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi 739-0588 Hiroshima Prefecture
Timing: 6:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Japanese culture is ancient and is filled with rites and traditions to honor the family. Because Japan is an island country, it was able to moderate the influence of other cultures for centuries. This allowed a distinct culture and heritage to develop for the beautiful Land of the Rising Sun. Two major religions influence Japanese traditions and culture: Shintoism and Buddhism. Shintoism has been practiced in Japan for over 2,000 years. Simply said, Shintoism is the belief in kami (gods). Because Shintoism has a lot to do with rituals, some Japanese may not feel it is a religion at all, but rather a way to celebrate many of Japan’s social traditions. For this reason, Buddhism can be practiced right alongside Shinto customs.
Hatsu Miyamairi, or Omiyamairi, meaning “shrine visit,” is a
precious family tradition for the close loved ones of a newborn
baby. Parents or grandparents bring the baby to a Shinto shrine for
this special rite of passage. Traditionally done 31 days after the
birth of a boy and 33 days after the birth of a girl, this Japanese
Shinto tradition shows gratitude for the birth of the child.
Babies are dressed in a white kimono or special white dress and are
most often carried by their grandmother. The shrine priest says a
prayer for the health and happiness of the newborn.
Seijin no Hi, or Coming of Age Day, is another rite of passage in
Japanese culture. It welcomes into adulthood those who have turned
age 20 and is held each year on the second Monday in January.
Seijin no Hi has been practiced in Japan since AD 714, when a young
prince dressed in new robes and changed his hairstyle to reflect his
passage into adulthood.
On this celebration day, new adults gather and enjoy encouraging
speeches from government officials.
The Obon festival is a way the Japanese honor their ancestors. This
three-day summer festival has been celebrated for more than 500
years and takes place in July or August.
This Japanese Buddhist tradition encourages people to return to
their ancestral family home places and clean and visit the graves of
their ancestors. The spirits of the ancestors are said to revisit
the family altars. Gifts of food, alcohol, and flowers are often
left on the gravestone and altar as a respectful gesture to those
who have passed away.
Traditional Japanese homes have very distinctive elements that make
them unique, such as rush-and-cloth flooring called tatami mats,
sliding doors called fusuma, and a kamidana or butsudan, which are
house altars or shrines.
Home altars and shrines are for paying respect to ancestors and for
worship. A Buddist often has a butsudan altar, which resembles a
cabinet. Within the cabinet is usually a Buddha figurine,
candlesticks, incense sticks, bells, and a place to leave offerings
in the altar.
A kamidana is a miniature Shinto shrine in the home. Amulets or
talismans are placed inside the shrine. As in traditional shrines
found in a city or town, a rope hangs across the top, with white
pieces of paper hanging from it. This rope and paper show the kami,
or god, the purity of shrine. You may also see vases, candlesticks,
and white dishes for offerings of water, sake, and food.
Forty years ago, Suwa Seikosha employee Yukio Yokozawa received a patent for inventing the first-ever laptop-sized notebook PC. Featuring an LCD screen, full-size keyboard, built-in rechargeable batteries and a printer, the Epson HX-20 was hailed by BusinessWeek magazine as the “Fourth revolution in personal computing.” To commemorate this significant achievement, T O R I I looks back at some of our other favorite Japanese creations in the postwar years.
teamLab Planets TOKYO / チームラボ プラネッツ TOKYO。
A simple yet extremely useful kitchen appliance consisting of a
heat source, cooking bowl and thermostat — the first electric rice
cookers (suihanki) — were produced by Mitsubishi Electric
Corporation in 1945. Unfortunately, they weren’t very
user-friendly back then as there was no automatic turn-off
facility, which meant the rice required constant supervision. In
1956, Yoshitada Minami invented a practical rice cooker with a
thermostat that switched off automatically and thus prevented the
rice from burning.
Toshiba started selling the cookers and within four years, they
could be found in around half of Japanese households. Today, it is
a Japanese kitchen staple.
At 6 am on October 1, 1964 two bullet trains (dangan ressha) left
simultaneously from Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations, marking the
inauguration of the 0 Series Shinkansen. Launched nine days before
the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, these trains reached speeds of
up to 130 miles per hour (210 kph), making it possible to get from
the capital to Osaka in around four hours, almost three hours
shorter than the conventional limited express.
Today that journey can be done in two and a half hours on the Nozomi
bullet train with a top speed of close to 200 miles per hour. (320
kph).
The story of quartz crystal as a timekeeping instrument began in
1880 when Pierre Curie (Marie’s future husband) and his younger
brother Jacques discovered its piezoelectric properties. The first
quartz clock was built by Bell Laboratories 47 years later, proving
much more accurate than its mechanical counterpart. The next big
challenge was squeezing all the components of the clock into a
wristwatch. No easy feat.
Seikosha became the first company to achieve that with the release
of the Seiko Quartz Astron on Christmas Day, 1969, a date that is
etched in the annals of horological history.
Wanting to help a friend who was slowly going blind, Seiichi Miyake
used his money to create tactile bricks (also known as tenji blocks)
so visually impaired pedestrians could be alerted to upcoming
dangers such as pavement curbs or platform edges at train stations.
Developed in 1965, the yellow bumpy surfaces, featuring dots and
bars, were installed along a highway near a school for the blind in
Okayama two years later.
The following decade, all Japan National Rail platforms were
mandated to include the invention. Tactile paving eventually became
commonplace in western countries in the 1990s.
Known as the inventor of karaoke, Daisuke Inoue was described in
Time magazine as “one of the most influential Asians of the 20th
Century.” In 1971, his band provided back-up music at clubs for
businessmen wanting to take to the stage. Asked by a client to
accompany him on a business trip in 1971, he was unable to attend.
Instead, however, he supplied a recorded tape.
Realizing its potential, the drummer made a karaoke machine out of a
car stereo, coin box and amplifier that he then rented to bars in
Kobe. As he didn’t patent the invention, Inoue missed out on
millions. You can even enjoy karaoke while also riding one of
Japan’s state-of-the-art trains.
On July 1, 1979, 16 years after Dutch company Phillips developed
cassette technology, Sony released the TPS-L2 Walkman, a personal
cassette player that revolutionized the way people listened to
music.
The organization’s co-founder Masaru Ibuka, tired of lugging around
the bulky TC-D5 cassette recorder on business trips, asked executive
deputy president Norio Ohga to design a playback-only stereo version
optimized for headphone use (the original device had two earphone
jacks so two people could listen at once).
Predicted to sell around 5,000 units monthly, it sold upwards of
500,000 in the first two months.
When tourists visit Japan, one of the first things they usually
mention is how amazing the toilets are here. Toto is the company
responsible for these innovative lavatories that feature automatic
lids, heated seats and music to hide any embarrassing noises. It was
the creation of the washlet in 1980 that ushered in this new era of
high-tech toilets.
The idea was to integrate electric seats with bidet functions,
featuring a nozzle that extends and retracts at exactly 43 degrees,
known as the “golden angle.” The temperature of the water is always
warm, allowing for optimum comfort.
In 2014, Shuji Nakamura, an American citizen born and raised in
Japan, along with two Japanese scientists, Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi
Amano, won the Nobel Prize in physics for the invention of blue
light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Their accomplishment in 1992 solved a
long-standing issue that proved extremely challenging for
scientists.
Though green and red LEDs had been around for many years, without
the blue diodes, it wouldn’t have been possible to produce the white
light we see in LED-based computer and TV screens today. Lighting is
now more energy-efficient and cost-effective.
An anglicized version of two Japanese words meaning “picture
character,” emojis first appeared in Japan at the end of the 20th
Century. The SkyWalker DP-211 SW, released by Softbank (then known
as J-Phone) on November 1, 1997, was believed to be the first mobile
phone to feature the pictograms. There were 90 in total, all in
black in white, including the iconic poop symbol.
Two years later, Shigetaka Kurita designed a set of 176 cartoon-like
images in color using a 12 by 12 pixels canvas for Docomo. There are
now more than 3,000 emojis in the Unicode Standard. The “face with
tears of joy” is said to be the most frequently used emoji.