Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
“If you long for me, come and seek me in Shinoda Forest in Izumi…” — Kuzunoha You know what folks, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve done an installment of my ongoing Backyard Tourism series where I try to…
Kyoto’s temples like Kiyomizu-dera are now so crowded and so commodified to eke out as much revenue from overseas tourists that they’ve lost all semblance of authenticity and are but a mere shade of their former culturally important selves. In…
Warning: This post is NOT safe for work! — Donny Kimball If you’ve spent any time delving into the dark recesses of the intrawebz, you’ve probably stumbled across that woodblock print of a Japanese woman being pleasured by none other…
As I often say on social media, nowhere compares to the majesty of Japan during the months of autumn. In fact, it’s so beautiful that it’s the only time of the year when I halt my crusade against Kyoto and…
This is going to be something of a hot take, but I really don’t get the allure of Osaka when it comes to tourism. Sure, it’s great if you’re a foodie, looking to experience the city’s nightlife, or using it…
Gather round, folks. Today I want to look at Uwajima, a place like Mt. Oe, the stronghold of the drunken demon Shuten Doji, that you’d otherwise probably never hear of in daily life. This time the thread is the Ushi-oni.…
Solivagant (n.)One who wanders alone. In other words, the sort of person who would rather disappear into Japan by themselves than negotiate an itinerary with five other travel companions. Especially these days, I spend almost all of my time traveling…
For the longest time, I’ve always had this strange fascination with Tochigi Prefecture’s Kinugawa Onsen. Conveniently located near the spiritual enclave of Nikko, this warm hot spring town has seen far better days. Though it is a convenient logistical hub…
Recently, I was showing family members who were visiting from abroad around some of the key highlights of the Tohoku region in northern Japan. During our adventures, we stopped by the former samurai town of Kakunodate as well as Akita’s…
Consento (n.)The Japanese word for an electrical outlet. Derived from “concentric plug,” an early type of electrical fitting used in Japan, the term was shortened from consento puragu until consento eventually became the standard word for the receptacle itself. One…
Japan never ceases to amaze me. The more I travel, the more I discover just how deep the proverbial rabbit hole goes when it comes to this amazing country. Just when I think I have seen all I need to…
Let me begin by saying that if you’re here for advice on cycling, where to get a bike rental, etc., you’ve come to the wrong place. While I’ll, of course, touch on these topics in this piece on the famed…
Even over a decade ago, back at the start of Japan’s tourism boom, Nikko was never somewhere one could describe as off the beaten path. While nowhere near as bad as Kyoto or Senso-ji in terms of crowding, this cluster…
It’s no secret that I am in love with Shikoku Island, and one of the many reasons I keep coming back is that it is home to a third of Japan’s 12 remaining original keeps. While reconstructions like Osaka Castle…
If you’re even a little bit interested in Japanese mythology, you’ve definitely heard of the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami (henceforth just Amaterasu for brevity). The progenitor of the Imperial line, perhaps no deity in the Japanese pantheon is more important…