{"id":148,"date":"2020-06-28T00:42:59","date_gmt":"2020-06-28T00:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/?page_id=148"},"modified":"2020-08-31T06:14:30","modified_gmt":"2020-08-31T06:14:30","slug":"blog","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h1  blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_section  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Our Blog<\/h1><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section main_color avia-section-no-padding avia-no-border-styling  avia-bg-style-scroll  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_heading  avia-builder-el-last  custom_blog  container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-148'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n<div   data-autoplay=''  data-interval='5'  data-animation='fade'  data-show_slide_delay='90'  class='avia-content-slider avia-content-grid-active avia-content-slider1 avia-content-slider-even  avia-builder-el-2  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  '  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Blog\" ><div class='avia-content-slider-inner'><div class='slide-entry-wrap'><article class='slide-entry flex_column  post-entry post-entry-1957 slide-entry-overview slide-loop-1 slide-parity-odd  av_one_fourth first real-thumbnail post-format-standard'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/shinto-the-way-of-the-gods\/' data-rel='slide-1' class='slide-image' title='Shinto &#8211; The Way Of The Gods'><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_2277-1-260x185.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-portfolio_small size-portfolio_small wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><div class='slide-content'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><span class=\"blog-categories minor-meta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"tag\">The Spirit of Japan Tours<\/a> <\/span><h3 class='slide-entry-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/shinto-the-way-of-the-gods\/' title='Shinto &#8211; The Way Of The Gods'>Shinto &#8211; The Way Of The Gods<\/a><\/h3><span class=\"av-vertical-delimiter\"><\/span><\/header><div class='slide-entry-excerpt entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" >Living in a land constantly shaped by earthquakes, volcanoes, and battered by typhoons, the people of these islands have learned to respect the formidable forces of nature. The misty mountains covered with dense forests were believed to be homes of kami, or divine spirits. Ancient Japanese thought that kami existed in everything\u2014rocks and trees, rivers and the sea, mountains and clouds. Kami were present everywhere, in all aspects of life. <div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/shinto-the-way-of-the-gods\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"more-link-arrow\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><div class='slide-meta'><time class='slide-meta-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2025-05-16T00:05:42+00:00\" >May 16, 2025<\/time><\/div><\/footer><span class='hidden'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_2277-1.jpeg<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='height'>600<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='width'>800<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"publisher\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='logo' itemscope itemtype='https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/logo-Spirit-of-Japan-Tours-2.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span><\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2020-06-28T00:42:59+00:00\" >2025-05-16 00:05:42<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"dateModified\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/dateModified\" >2025-05-16 21:27:46<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"mainEntityOfPage\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/mainEntityOfPage\" ><span itemprop='name'>Shinto &#8211; The Way Of The Gods<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/article><article class='slide-entry flex_column  post-entry post-entry-1685 slide-entry-overview slide-loop-2 slide-parity-even  av_one_fourth  real-thumbnail post-format-standard'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/walking-kiso-road-nakasendo-adventure\/' data-rel='slide-1' class='slide-image' title='Walking the Kiso Road: A Nakasendo Adventure'><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Screenshot-2023-11-14-at-20.39.27-260x185.png\" class=\"attachment-portfolio_small size-portfolio_small wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><div class='slide-content'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><span class=\"blog-categories minor-meta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"tag\">The Spirit of Japan Tours<\/a> <\/span><h3 class='slide-entry-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/walking-kiso-road-nakasendo-adventure\/' title='Walking the Kiso Road: A Nakasendo Adventure'>Walking the Kiso Road: A Nakasendo Adventure<\/a><\/h3><span class=\"av-vertical-delimiter\"><\/span><\/header><div class='slide-entry-excerpt entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" >This hike was enchanting and romantic \u2013 a wonderful blend of natural beauty, history, and delicious local treats. Although our journey continued for two more days, exploring Kiso-Fukushima and Narai-Juku, even a day hike from Magome to Tsumago would provide a remarkable experience of this historic road.<div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/walking-kiso-road-nakasendo-adventure\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"more-link-arrow\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><div class='slide-meta'><time class='slide-meta-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2024-08-08T05:53:15+00:00\" >August 8, 2024<\/time><\/div><\/footer><span class='hidden'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Screenshot-2023-11-14-at-20.39.27.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='height'>451<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='width'>1000<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"publisher\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='logo' itemscope itemtype='https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/logo-Spirit-of-Japan-Tours-2.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span><\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2020-06-28T00:42:59+00:00\" >2024-08-08 05:53:15<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"dateModified\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/dateModified\" >2024-11-23 22:38:13<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"mainEntityOfPage\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/mainEntityOfPage\" ><span itemprop='name'>Walking the Kiso Road: A Nakasendo Adventure<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/article><article class='slide-entry flex_column  post-entry post-entry-1621 slide-entry-overview slide-loop-3 slide-parity-odd  av_one_fourth  real-thumbnail post-format-standard'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/nara\/' data-rel='slide-1' class='slide-image' title='Nara &#8211; a story of ancient temples, traditions and &#8230;. deer'><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Todaiji-Gate-in-Nara-260x185.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-portfolio_small size-portfolio_small wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><div class='slide-content'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><span class=\"blog-categories minor-meta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"tag\">The Spirit of Japan Tours<\/a> <\/span><h3 class='slide-entry-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/nara\/' title='Nara &#8211; a story of ancient temples, traditions and &#8230;. deer'>Nara &#8211; a story of ancient temples, traditions and &#8230;. deer<\/a><\/h3><span class=\"av-vertical-delimiter\"><\/span><\/header><div class='slide-entry-excerpt entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" >The first thing that grabs the attention when you enter Nara Park, where the historical sites are is the deer. Nothing can prepare you for the sight of more than 1,000 of them freely roaming the grounds, completely unafraid of people. Believed to be messenger of the gods, the deer are considered sacred. Killing one of these sacred deer was a capital offense up until 1637, the last recorded date of a breach of that law. In present days they are designated as a Natural Monument and are protected as such.<div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/nara\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"more-link-arrow\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><div class='slide-meta'><time class='slide-meta-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2023-05-24T08:07:15+00:00\" >May 24, 2023<\/time><\/div><\/footer><span class='hidden'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Todaiji-Gate-in-Nara.jpeg<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='height'>492<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='width'>991<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"publisher\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='logo' itemscope itemtype='https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/logo-Spirit-of-Japan-Tours-2.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span><\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2020-06-28T00:42:59+00:00\" >2023-05-24 08:07:15<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"dateModified\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/dateModified\" >2023-05-24 13:01:59<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"mainEntityOfPage\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/mainEntityOfPage\" ><span itemprop='name'>Nara &#8211; a story of ancient temples, traditions and &#8230;. deer<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/article><article class='slide-entry flex_column  post-entry post-entry-1502 slide-entry-overview slide-loop-4 slide-parity-even  av_one_fourth  real-thumbnail post-format-standard'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/hokkaido\/' data-rel='slide-1' class='slide-image' title='Hokkaido &#8211; Japan&#8217;s Emerald Island'><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Hokkaido-banner-260x185.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-portfolio_small size-portfolio_small wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><div class='slide-content'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><span class=\"blog-categories minor-meta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"tag\">The Spirit of Japan Tours<\/a> <\/span><h3 class='slide-entry-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/hokkaido\/' title='Hokkaido &#8211; Japan&#8217;s Emerald Island'>Hokkaido &#8211; Japan&#8217;s Emerald Island<\/a><\/h3><span class=\"av-vertical-delimiter\"><\/span><\/header><div class='slide-entry-excerpt entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" >Summers in Japan are generally hot and humid. There is, however one place that enjoys a very different climate from the rest of the country and that is Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. a few years ago our son spent 6 months working on a project in Sapporo, the island's main city, so we combined a visit to see him with sightseeing I had been wanting to do for quite some time.<div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/hokkaido\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"more-link-arrow\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><div class='slide-meta'><time class='slide-meta-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2022-07-30T22:56:59+00:00\" >July 30, 2022<\/time><\/div><\/footer><span class='hidden'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Hokkaido-banner.jpeg<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='height'>704<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='width'>1500<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"publisher\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='logo' itemscope itemtype='https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/logo-Spirit-of-Japan-Tours-2.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span><\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2020-06-28T00:42:59+00:00\" >2022-07-30 22:56:59<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"dateModified\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/dateModified\" >2022-07-30 22:59:22<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"mainEntityOfPage\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/mainEntityOfPage\" ><span itemprop='name'>Hokkaido &#8211; Japan&#8217;s Emerald Island<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/article><\/div><div class='slide-entry-wrap'><article class='slide-entry flex_column  post-entry post-entry-1394 slide-entry-overview slide-loop-5 slide-parity-odd  av_one_fourth first real-thumbnail post-format-standard'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/o-higan\/' data-rel='slide-1' class='slide-image' title='O-Higan &#8211; the time when day and night are equal'><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Higan-Featur-image-260x185.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-portfolio_small size-portfolio_small wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><div class='slide-content'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><span class=\"blog-categories minor-meta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"tag\">The Spirit of Japan Tours<\/a> <\/span><h3 class='slide-entry-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/o-higan\/' title='O-Higan &#8211; the time when day and night are equal'>O-Higan &#8211; the time when day and night are equal<\/a><\/h3><span class=\"av-vertical-delimiter\"><\/span><\/header><div class='slide-entry-excerpt entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" >In the following couple of months, almost daily I would get on my bicycle and head to a temple on my list. These little adventures gave me a great sense of freedom and enjoyment that turned what could have been one of the worst times of my life into one of the best and richest.<div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/o-higan\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"more-link-arrow\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><div class='slide-meta'><time class='slide-meta-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2021-09-23T23:57:19+00:00\" >September 23, 2021<\/time><\/div><\/footer><span class='hidden'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Higan-Featur-image.jpeg<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='height'>495<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='width'>496<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"publisher\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='logo' itemscope itemtype='https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/logo-Spirit-of-Japan-Tours-2.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span><\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2020-06-28T00:42:59+00:00\" >2021-09-23 23:57:19<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"dateModified\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/dateModified\" >2021-09-24 00:00:22<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"mainEntityOfPage\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/mainEntityOfPage\" ><span itemprop='name'>O-Higan &#8211; the time when day and night are equal<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/article><article class='slide-entry flex_column  post-entry post-entry-1331 slide-entry-overview slide-loop-6 slide-parity-even  av_one_fourth  real-thumbnail post-format-standard'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/sakura\/' data-rel='slide-1' class='slide-image' title='The Magic Of Cherry Blossoms'><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-2-260x185.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-portfolio_small size-portfolio_small wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><div class='slide-content'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><span class=\"blog-categories minor-meta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"tag\">The Spirit of Japan Tours<\/a> <\/span><h3 class='slide-entry-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/sakura\/' title='The Magic Of Cherry Blossoms'>The Magic Of Cherry Blossoms<\/a><\/h3><span class=\"av-vertical-delimiter\"><\/span><\/header><div class='slide-entry-excerpt entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" >Sakura trees are different from ordinary cherry trees as they don\u2019t produce fruit but instead have been cultivated over the centuries for their beautiful flowers. The cherry blossoms are considered the unofficial icon of Japan, and the trees are so loved and venerated that they are often given as a precious gift to other countries and symbolize Japan\u2019s spirit and friendship.<div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/sakura\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"more-link-arrow\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><div class='slide-meta'><time class='slide-meta-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2021-03-26T12:47:20+00:00\" >March 26, 2021<\/time><\/div><\/footer><span class='hidden'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Sakura-2.jpeg<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='height'>600<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='width'>800<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"publisher\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='logo' itemscope itemtype='https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/logo-Spirit-of-Japan-Tours-2.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span><\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2020-06-28T00:42:59+00:00\" >2021-03-26 12:47:20<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"dateModified\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/dateModified\" >2021-03-26 13:32:29<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"mainEntityOfPage\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/mainEntityOfPage\" ><span itemprop='name'>The Magic Of Cherry Blossoms<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/article><article class='slide-entry flex_column  post-entry post-entry-1286 slide-entry-overview slide-loop-7 slide-parity-odd  av_one_fourth  real-thumbnail post-format-standard'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/setsubun\/' data-rel='slide-1' class='slide-image' title='Setsubun &#8211; the day dividing the seasons'><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Setsubun-1-260x185.jpg\" class=\"attachment-portfolio_small size-portfolio_small wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><div class='slide-content'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><span class=\"blog-categories minor-meta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"tag\">The Spirit of Japan Tours<\/a> <\/span><h3 class='slide-entry-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/setsubun\/' title='Setsubun &#8211; the day dividing the seasons'>Setsubun &#8211; the day dividing the seasons<\/a><\/h3><span class=\"av-vertical-delimiter\"><\/span><\/header><div class='slide-entry-excerpt entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" >There are several fun traditions associated with Setsubun with the most popular one being mame-maki, which means throwing beans in Japanese. The period of time surrounding the Setsubun, was thought to bring the spirit world closer to the physical one. Thus, practices like mame-maki became popular. Tossing the beans is symbolic of driving away any evil spirits (Oni in Japanese,) who might have wandered too close to the physical realm. <div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/setsubun\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"more-link-arrow\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><div class='slide-meta'><time class='slide-meta-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2021-02-08T03:21:23+00:00\" >February 8, 2021<\/time><\/div><\/footer><span class='hidden'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Setsubun-1.jpg<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='height'>341<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='width'>636<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"publisher\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='logo' itemscope itemtype='https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/logo-Spirit-of-Japan-Tours-2.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span><\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2020-06-28T00:42:59+00:00\" >2021-02-08 03:21:23<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"dateModified\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/dateModified\" >2021-02-08 03:21:23<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"mainEntityOfPage\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/mainEntityOfPage\" ><span itemprop='name'>Setsubun &#8211; the day dividing the seasons<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/article><article class='slide-entry flex_column  post-entry post-entry-1254 slide-entry-overview slide-loop-8 slide-parity-even  post-entry-last  av_one_fourth  real-thumbnail post-format-standard'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/dondo-yaki\/' data-rel='slide-1' class='slide-image' title='Dondo Yaki &#8211; the bonfires ending the New Year'><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"185\" src=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-18-at-14.07.04-260x185.png\" class=\"attachment-portfolio_small size-portfolio_small wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-18-at-14.07.04-260x185.png 260w, https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-18-at-14.07.04-495x355.png 495w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 260px) 100vw, 260px\" \/><\/a><div class='slide-content'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><span class=\"blog-categories minor-meta\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/category\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"tag\">The Spirit of Japan Tours<\/a> <\/span><h3 class='slide-entry-title entry-title '  itemprop=\"headline\" ><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/dondo-yaki\/' title='Dondo Yaki &#8211; the bonfires ending the New Year'>Dondo Yaki &#8211; the bonfires ending the New Year<\/a><\/h3><span class=\"av-vertical-delimiter\"><\/span><\/header><div class='slide-entry-excerpt entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" >A wonderful aspect of living in an old farming community was that they still faithfully observed their traditions. On the 7th day of January of our first new year there, a Dondo Yaki hut was erected on an empty rice field. The hut had a door and was big enough to have a large group of 10-15 people inside. In the middle of the hut there was a pit for the fire lighting the dark interior of the hut.  It was also a place to brew to brew tea and grill Mochi cakes for the various women\u2019s groups that gathered in the hut daily and, in the evenings to warm sake for the men.<div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/dondo-yaki\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"more-link-arrow\"><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><div class='slide-meta'><time class='slide-meta-time updated'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2021-02-01T05:07:37+00:00\" >February 1, 2021<\/time><\/div><\/footer><span class='hidden'>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-18-at-14.07.04.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='height'>355<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='width'>1001<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"publisher\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='logo' itemscope itemtype='https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span itemprop='url'>https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/logo-Spirit-of-Japan-Tours-2.png<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><span itemprop='name'>makaylasadamori<\/span><\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"datePublished\" datetime=\"2020-06-28T00:42:59+00:00\" >2021-02-01 05:07:37<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"dateModified\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/dateModified\" >2022-01-25 07:09:17<\/span><span class='av-structured-data'  itemprop=\"mainEntityOfPage\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/mainEntityOfPage\" ><span itemprop='name'>Dondo Yaki &#8211; the bonfires ending the New Year<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/article><\/div><\/div><div class='pagination-wrap pagination-slider'><nav class='pagination'><span class='pagination-meta'>Page 1 of 3<\/span><span class='current'>1<\/span><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/148\/page\/2\/' class='inactive next_page' >2<\/a><a href='https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/148\/page\/3\/' class='inactive' >3<\/a><\/nav>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='after_section_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-148'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-148","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1097,"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/148\/revisions\/1097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritofjapantours.com\/staging\/8667\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}