FEATURE CONTENTS

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  Uncorking Nagano Wine Country ― Our crush on the Chikuma Valley

  Visiting vineyards and wineries, sampling their wines and the local cuisine, is a pleasurable indulgence for adults. Rising on the radar of wine lovers is the lush green valley along the Chikuma River in Nagano prefecture. It’s emerging as a world-class wine region worth exploring.

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  Budo — The art, culture, and philosophy of the samurai

  The venerable martial-arts schools Yagyu Shinkage-ryu,Tendo-ryu, Ogasawara-ryu, and Hozoin-ryu all have unbroken traditions dating back more than 450 years. Each disciplines the mind and body, and polishes techniques, to cultivate the efficient but elegant movements captured in these pages.

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  Atami and Hakone — Wonders await along the Golden Route

  Delights of discovery are to be found on a detour off the familiar route between Kyoto and Tokyo.Exploring Atami, Hakone, and Odawara affords luxury spa opportunities, coastal and mountain scenery, fine-art viewing, gourmet dining, and vistas of Mount Fuji. The perfect base for a stay is the Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Atami or the Hiramatsu Hotels & Resorts Sengokuhara.

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  Tokyo Revealed, Part 1: Snap These 14 Instagram-Ready Spots!

  Instagram mania has taken hold in Japan, as it has all over the world. Young people have even coined a new word, insta-bae, meaning “Instagram-worthy.” So where might be the best places to take Instagram pics in Tokyo to wow your friends and family? We have some suggestions.

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  At the Cutting Edge — Made-in-Japan innovations

  A new fusion of Japan’s great craft skills with the country’s renowned manufacturing technologies is creating products of stunning innovation. See how such familiar materials as metals, glass, and silk have been transformed by technical know-how and ingenuity. The novel products are opening new business opportunities for established companies and giving fresh meaning to “made in Japan.”

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  A Little-Known Treasury of Japanese Art — Celebrating a 90th anniversary

  Ninety years ago a man with a big dream gathered resources from Japan and around the world to construct an ambitious palace of art, inviting some of the greatest Japanese artists of his day to provide the interior design. In its new and latest incarnation, that dream has become the Hotel Gajoen Tokyo, an exceptional place where beauty always takes pride of place. There’s little chance that anything like it will ever be built again. Take a look and imagine spending a night or two in one of the luxury suites.