Aikido: A Japanese martial art practiced by millions Mara Budgen Emphasising self-defence rather than victory, Japan's youngest martial art brings both new and veteran practitioners from across the globe to Tanabe, the town where it was born. The adversaries, Junichi Gomita and Yoshinori Okazaki, were teachers at Aikido Tanabe Dōjō in Tanabe, the town in the Japanese prefecture of Wakayama …
The masters of a 5,000-year-old craft Hsu Shih-Chen/Getty Images Thatched buildings are deeply connected to Japan's history and culture, yet few survive. Mara Budgen At Miyama Futon & Breakfast Honkan, the hearth is at the centre of the house "When the emperor accedes to the throne, a thatched building is created specially for this occasion," explained Haruo Nishio, one of …
