When the Saito Kinen Orchestra hit the final notes of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” known for its avant-garde use of discordance and irregular rhythm, a round of enthusiastic applause filled ...

Nestled in the picturesque Japanese Alps of Nagano Prefecture, Matsumoto Castle has long been an emblem of history, culture and now, gastronomy. On Oct. 16 and Oct. 17, this national treasure served ...

June 27 marks the 30th anniversary of the first sarin gas attack perpetrated by the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. A colleague of mine, who joined The Asahi Shimbun in ...

Police connected a company with ties to the Aum Shinrikyo cult to the sarin nerve gas attack in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, 22 days after the deadly assault in June 1994, a document shows. But ...

Matsumoto: Aum's sarin guinea pig Residents of this picturesque city in Nagano Prefecture recall the day 20 years ago when members of a religious cult released a deadly nerve gas in what was to become ...

Matsumoto is having quite a moment among the foreign residents in Japan. In addition to its proximity to Tokyo and a lively mid-size town vibe, the city in Nagano Prefecture has two big-deal ...

This week, three participants will embark on a road trip along the historic Chikuni Kaido road. Each of them will walk for two days to a goal, armed with a map and pedometer. The three of them will ...