TRAVEL

In a geographical battle for the hearts and minds of Japanese people, Kyoto would win hands down as the wellspring of so much of their culture for which they feel such reverence. But while Kyoto certainly has its magnificent fistfuls of historical treasures, it also happens to be Japan's seventh-biggest city, and a journey from one of its celebrated sites to another often involves a long bus ride through cityscapes of spectacular drabness. (Japan Times)

The curtain is coming down on Tokyo's Kabukiza, the iconic home of Japan's traditional kabuki drama, which is set to be demolished next month to make way for a skyscraper. Women dressed in their finest kimonos and crowds of tourists have flocked to the venue, a landmark that evokes ancient Japanese castles and temples, to catch the final shows before its date with the wrecking ball. Nestled amid the glass and steel of the upscale Ginza shopping district, the four-story playhouse, with its curved roofs and red paper lanterns, is a reminder of a quieter past beloved by many in the bustling metropolis. (mysinchew.com)

A journey to 33 restaurants in Osaka and three nearby prefectures to enjoy thick "sanuki udon" is under way to give momentum to a boom in the pastalike noodles that originated in Japan. Organizers call the journey "Kansai sanuki udon pilgrimage rally." It involves participants slurping up noodles at one restaurant after another until they complete visits to all 33 eateries on the itinerary in Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Nara prefectures. They will collect a stamp at each stop. (Japan Times)

The ancient capital of Nara is celebrating the 1,300th anniversary of its founding throughout 2010 with hundreds of events that officials hope will bring in nearly 13 million visitors and raise the city's profile domestically and internationally as a historical and cultural tourism center. But questions are growing about how successful the celebrations will ultimately prove, with concerns over the effect of the weak economy on events and attendances, a lack of foreign language tourism information and a local populace that has been slow to embrace the festivities. (Japan Times)

Nara Prefecture, which once prospered as home to the ancient capital of Heijokyo (710-784), has been sidelined by neighboring Kyoto as a cultural heritage and tourist destination. Hosting a plethora of historical buildings, Buddhist statues and spacious Nara Park where more than 1,000 deer roam free, Nara has long been a place for a day trip either before or after a longer stay in Kyoto, especially for first-time visitors to the area. But a wide variety of activities commemorating the 1,300th anniversary of the founding of Heijokyo, which started Jan. 1, hopes to change all that. (Japan Times)

The ancient city of Nara has lived in the shadow of its neighbor, Kyoto, for centuries. So this year, as Nara marks the 1,300th anniversary of its ascension as Japan's imperial capital, the city might be forgiven for going over the top. Nara was a splendor in its time - a world of silks, Chinese scripts and Buddhist culture set in a sleepy landscape. Built by the emperor Shomu, a convert to Buddhism, Nara played an important role in the spread of that religion in Japan, as evidenced by the ancient temples that still dot the city. Now it is celebrating that history in style. (New York Times)

Amid the booming popularity of visiting shrines and other ancient sanctuaries that the Japanese love to call "power spots," from Ise and Izumo shrines to Mount Fuji, perhaps a visit to the pilgrimage routes of Kumano Kodo seems a bit challenging. Nestled among the steep mountain ranges of the Kii Peninsula -- one of the world's only two pilgrimage routes designated as World Heritage sites, along with Spain's Santiago de Compostela -- Kumano Kodo is a 307.6-kilometer network of routes straddling Wakayama, Mie and Nara prefectures in western Japan. (Mainichi)

Archaeologists showed to the media Thursday a stone chamber that was excavated at an ancient tomb near Nara and is believed to date back to the late third to early fourth centuries. The tomb is believed to be that of a nobleman in the early years of the Yamato dynasty, which ruled major parts of Japan from the third to seventh centuries. (Japan Times)