The Backpack Adventures

Kumatori Exchange Center Rengakan ( 熊取交流センター 煉瓦館 ) is a former cotton cloth factory turned public hall located at 1 Chome-10-1 Gomonnishi, Kumatoricho, Sennan City in Osaka Prefecture. Kumatori Exchange Center Rengakan Kumatori Exchange Center Rengakan Details Constructed sometime in 1928 (Showa 3). The red-brick building locally referred to as Rengakan was originally a building where fabric and textiles were produced from cotton. During the peak of its operation, there were two buildings on the site.  Kumatori Exchange Center Rengakan - Sennan City, Osaka Prefecture Kumatori Exchange Center Rengakan facade Back then, the town of Kumatori was famous for producing high-quality towels which were locally called Senshu towels . There were around 500 specialist factories around Kumatori that worked together to create the famed towels.  Exploring the grounds of Rengakan However, due to the advances in technology, these factories closed down one by one. Rengakan ceased operations in 1992 a

Okage Yokocho Ancient Street ( おかげ横丁 ) or simply Okage Yokocho is a recreated Edo and Meiji Era miniature town located at 52 Ujinakanokiricho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture. It currently serves as a shopping district and tourist destination for the city. Okage Yokocho Okage Yokocho details During the Edo Period, Uji District, where the current Okage Yokocho now stands is visited by millions of pilgrims per year. However, through time these numbers dwindled to as low as 200,000 people in the 1980s. Okage Yokocho - Ise City, Mie Prefecture In an attempt to overcome this situation, one of the long-established Japanese confectionery stores in the district, Akafuku , led the way and formed the "Ise Onaraimachi Conference". The conference aimed to revitalize the town hence the birth of Okage Yokocho .  Ise City Manhole Cover Okage Yokocho opened in the summer of 1993. This 3.2-acre site presents a beautiful array of buildings that were constructed to recreate the Edo and Meiji atmo

Ise Grand Shrine Naiku or Ise Jingu Naiku   ( 伊勢神宮 )  is one of the two main shrine complexes of the Ise Grand Shrine and is located at 1 Ujitacho, Ise City, Mie Prefecture. It is dedicated to the goddess Amaterasu . Ise Jingu Naiku Ise Jingu Naiku details Ise Jingu Naiku is officially known as Kotai Jingu . It is also referred to as the Inner Shrine . This shrine complex is 16 kilometers away from the Ise Jingu Geku. According to the second oldest book of classical Japanese history - Nihon Shoki, Ise Jingu Naiku was established some 2000 years ago when the divine Yamatohine-no-Mikoto set out to search for a permanent location to worship the goddess Amaterasu . Ise Jingu Naiku - Ise City, Mie Prefecture It was said that after 20 years of wondering, she heard Amaterasu say that Ise is the land she wanted to dwell in. From there, they say the rest is history.  Crossing the Uji Bridge Water font to wash the hands and mouth of visitors Torii gate (一の鳥居) near Hiyoke Bridge The traditio