The Zentsuji Temple is revered as the birthplace of the Buddhist priest Kobo Daishi. Kobo Daishi  founded the Shingon  school of Japanese Buddhism. There are many schools of Buddhism all with a goal of reaching enlightenment. If you are wondering what are the red hats and aprons about, they are adornments intended to ward off evil and protect children.

There are many historic sites along the Singapore River, such as The Fullerton Hotel , the Old Parliament House , Chinatown , and Little India . Another "must see" is the top of Marina Bay Sands SkyPark  for a panoramic view of Singapore: we did not see any obvious crazy rich Asians. One observation is that there are no grocery stores on the streets. I believe you can learn a lot about a place by visiting its supermarkets. We discovered a network of underground malls that in

We arrived in Singapore around 8 AM after a 17-hour flight from LAX. Singapore Airlines Business Class was impressive. The food and service were excellent, and the lay-flat beds have a unique design where you fold down the seat back to create the bed. It was comfortable for me, but my 6'4" husband found it a bit short, though he slept well despite the person snoring behind him. The flight left LA at 11 PM, and I was worried about staying up late for supper service, but the ex

Japan has lots of islands. We took a ferry to Honshu and then traveled by high-speed train to Hiroshima.   Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and the Peace Memorial Museum serve as solemn reminders of the atomic blast that devastated the city on August 6, 1945. Within the park lies the skeletal remains of a building now called the Atomic Bomb Dome , which was originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall built in 1914. The structure has been preserved as it was

Taking a ferry is a very pleasant way to get to your next destination. We proceeded to Mount Koya and the Iya Valley by ferry across to Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s main islands. First we will talk about highlights from the Iya Valley. We attended a dance performance in the town of Tokushima at the Awa Odori Kaikan Museum . Dance has been a significant aspect of the local culture for 400 years. The dancers were graceful and athletic, and although they weren't on par wi

We then traveled to Tokyo via bullet train for the final four days of our Intro to Asia tour. We checked into The Okura Tokyo , a stunning hotel rebuilt in 2019, situated across from the US Embassy. After experiencing subpar accommodations (in my opinion) with National Geographic, we finally enjoyed a lovely, spacious, and elegant corner room on the 29th floor with a view of Tokyo. I was quite satisfied and didn't feel the need to request a third room, as I sometimes do. In

We arrived in Kyoto from Singapore a day before the National Geographic Inside Japan tour to acclimate and explore on our own. Before discussing Kyoto, I must mention the ordeal of getting through Osaka Airport. Our Singapore Airlines flight was excellent as usual, but the immigration process in Osaka was chaotic. We spent two hours in a line moving at a snail's pace, seemingly due to more visitors than available officers. There is a “ Visit Japan Web QR code ” we could hav

Mount Koya is the central hub of the Shingon Buddhist sect. Buddhism consists of three primary schools: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, each with numerous sects, subsects, and movements. The core tenets of Buddhism focus on understanding suffering, identifying its causes, and pursuing a path to liberation through mindfulness, compassion, and ethical behavior, all aimed at achieving nirvana (enlightenment).   We wandered through an enchanting cemetery nestled among tower