Kyushu National Museum

The newly opened Kyushu National Museum celebrates the many Asian and European influences that helped shape Japanese culture and art. Fukuoka was Japan's oldest gateway to the continent, entry point for trade and ideas flowing along the ancient silk road. In addition to art masterpieces, exhibits show the similarities between household items, handicrafts and musical instruments from many countries.

Heart-Warming Nabe Cookery

Nabe means pot, and this style of cooking whole meals in a single pot is highly developed in Japan, from sukiyaki and shabu shabu to over 40 regional variations. One of the most famous is the sumo wrestler's meal of chanko-nabe, a vast stew filled with many kinds of meat, fish and vegetables. Nabe is a dish that warms the body and the heart, bringing family and friend together around the communal pot.

Waste Disposal as a Work of Art

Waste disposal is an essential function that most cities try to hide, but Hiroshima decided to make its new incineration plant a feature of city life. It's a beautiful building, filled with glass and greenery on a landscaped site that provides a new public space for people to enjoy. It's also a museum, where citizens can watch from inside as their garbage is converted into useful energy and reusable materials.

Hiraizumi - Glories of Long Ago

Hiraizumi is where Basho wrote his famous poem about summer grass - all that remains of warriors' dreams. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Fujiwara clan built a vast city here, with a culture that rivaled far distant Kyoto. But the Fujiwara were destroyed and their city leveled. The only building left from that period is the fabulous Konjikido Golden Hall. Otherwise, Hiraizumi is now a small town with relics and memories of greatness, set among magnificent scenery.