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Hiking In One Of Japan’s Most Spiritual Places | Mt. Kurama

May 02 (WAO RYU!ONLY in JAPAN) - Few places one could travel are as rich in spirituality and cultural history as Kyoto. But many people don’t know the close relationship Kyoto has with nature in its immediate surroundings. Travel just outside the city and you’ll find yourself transported to some of Japan’s most sacred sites. Mt. Kurama in the northwest is one such place.

Towering ancient trees and many centuries old shrines dot the landscape of this holy mountain. We take you today on a short hike up an ancient winding path to Kurama-dera at the summit of the mountain. Although many places can seem like they’re out of a faerie tale Mt. Kurama actually is. This mountain is the setting of some of Japan’s most important stories and legends and their impact still resonates along these tranquil forest paths.

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Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department held a review ceremony for its riot police units at Meiji Jingu Gaien in Tokyo on May 20th, with around 1,700 officers marching in formation as part of a large-scale demonstration of security preparedness.

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

Two women were found dead with stab wounds at a house in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, on May 19th, with police suspecting they were victims of a violent crime.

Bear attacks continue to occur across Japan, while a new problem has emerged as false reports of bear sightings flood local alert systems, placing growing pressure on municipal authorities and emergency responders.

A man in his 30s was referred to prosecutors after allegedly feeding a chocolate snack to a marmot at an animal cafe in Osaka Prefecture, despite the risk that the treat could cause poisoning or even death in the squirrel-family animal.