When many people imagine a trip to Japan, the mind turns to high-paced, modern city life. However, just an hour or two away from some of the country’s most vibrant urban centres lies an altogether different kind of experience, one that focuses on cleansing and rejuvenating the soul by offering an insight into the ancient practices of one of Japan’s major religion, Shingon Buddhism.

The beautiful spectrum of red, orange and yellow autumn leaves known as koyo will be complemented by the green and gold of the visiting Wallabies when Australia plays in the Rugby World Cup hosted by Japan in 2019.

Partners Information: Bunny Shrine of Mima City, Tokushima Prefecture Shirahito Shrine is located in Anabuki of Mima City. The shrine features a stone lantern (called “goshinto” in Japanese) with a bunny statue on top of it, considered rare in Japan. This area has been regarded as a sacred site since ancient times.

Nowhere else in the world will you find more centenarians per capita—people who live beyond the age of 100 years—than Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost prefecture. Okinawa is made up of 160 islands of various size scattered across a vast area of ocean.