A short drive away from Beijing, you can reach the city of Datong, Shanxi. Our drive took us through the mountains northwest of the city past amazing scenes of Great Wall climbing them into coal country. A small city by … Continued
Beijing gets a bad rap for bad air. It is true that the air is bad many days and unbearable on some, but it is not solely the city’s fault. Part of the blame should go to those who first … Continued
When you enter the Forbidden City from the front gate under the magnitudinous portrait of Mao, you are still half a city away. On either side of this first section, which is a series of gates, before reaching the actual … Continued
Shibuya Of course, I wandered other areas of Tokyo as well. Being so near Meiji Jingu, I walked to the busiest intersection in the world. On the way I passed the beautiful sports national sports complex and had to get … Continued
Japan is still an empire with an emperor as head of state. This emperor still lives in a magnificent imperial palace in the heart of Tokyo. This palace is stock full of history and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. A … Continued
My second Frank Lloyd Wright building in Japan was the simple, yet beautiful, Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan. Myonichikan or “the House of Tomorrow” was designed by Wright in 1921 for the girls’ school Jiyu Gakuen. Originally built in a quiet and … Continued
Another of Tokyo’s must-see destinations is a large, not-so-old, Shinto shrine called Meiji Jingu. This impressive site is not just about the religious structure or campus but the entire forest around it. Maybe you recognize the Meiji part of its … Continued
I love to go up in high towers, and in Japan I visited three Tokyo towers–Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, and Ropongi Hills. Tokyo Skytree The second tallest freestanding structure in the world towers over the city of Tokyo. Tokyo Skytree … Continued
The highlight of my time in Japan was the few days I spent doing service in the Tokyo Japan Temple. I am so happy that these sacred buildings dot the earth. I may not live conveniently close to one for … Continued
