Not long ago, Tomohiro Endo, 45, a company employee who makes guitars for a living, started crafting pieces for shogi — a Japanese board game similar to chess — as a hobby. And in just 18 months, he ...

In Nagano province, the black silhouette of Matsumoto Castle stands out against the snowy horizon of the Japanese Alps. This ...

Linking mountainous Matsumoto and coastal Kanazawa, this clunkily named route includes nonetheless fantastic sites.