Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
Allow me to begin this one by describing an all too common scenario. Imagine the following. You’re speeding along on the bullet train from Tokyo or Kyoto as you make your way to Hiroshima. As the stations roll by, your…
Welcome back to the second installment in my in-depth series on Yamanashi Prefecture’s hidden destinations. As explained in part one, Yamanashi is a location that holds quite an unique predicament when it comes to attracting foreign visitors. You see, the…
It’s no real secret that my favorite time of year in Japan is autumn. After all, I have been hammering this point almost daily now on social media. While spring may have its cherry blossoms and summer its festivals, these…
“Maybe if more people actually visited the Sea of Trees, as opposed to just imagining it based on multimedia, it would help dispel some of the spooky notions that are floating around out there.“ — Beyond Death & Pain: The Truth…
Ah, the mighty Japan Rail Pass… When I originally penned this piece back in 2018, I didn’t think that I would ever need to do as significant an update as I have now completed. Alas, nothing lasts forever, my dear…
Welcome back to yet another one of my in-depth area guides. Today, we will be taking a look at a section of Tokyo known as Ryogoku. Home to both the Kokugikan Sumo Arena and the amazing Edo-Tokyo Museum, Ryogoku is…
Okay, now that I’ve basically scared off all my female readers with a title like that, let’s get down to the dirty business. I don’t think I need a disclaimer if you’ve gotten this far so just know the following…
It’s no secret that Japan is a country that is prone to many natural disasters. The nation has a long history of coping with mother nature’s ire and this in turn has shaped much of the local culture. Moreover, things…
The clock struck 4:00 AM and my alarm went off with a bang. Still quite drunk from the night before, I rolled over to see what the commotion was all about. Through my alcohol induced stupor, I somehow managed to…
When push comes to shove, my absolute favorite thing about traveling in Japan is the nation’s long and undeniably palpable history. While it often requires one do a bit of digging, reverberations from Japan’s feudal era can still be felt…
It’s no secret that I am in love with Oita. I’ve been enamored ever since I first visited the prefecture in May of 2018 for a visit arranged by the governmental agency JETRO. Our experiences were captured in this amazing…
“While the story of how Buddhism and Shintoism became intertwined is beyond the scope of this article (I’ll send you to Wikipedia for that) just know that the two religions co-existed until they were forcibly separated by the Meiji government…
“Summer grass — all that remains of warriors’ dreams.” — Matsuo Basho When hankering for a unique historical experience, most foreign visitors immediately default to Japan’s former capital of Kyoto. After all, Kyoto is legendary across the globe for its rich and tangible…
Hey everyone! Did you know that this year (2018) actually marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of modern-day Tokyo? That’s right! It was just a mere century and a half ago that the Tokugawa shogunate’s stronghold of Edo was…
Ah Yamanashi — known internationally for its wildly popular Mt. Fuji climb and…well, not much else. This is a real shame. You see, this landlocked prefecture is host to breathtaking natural wonders as well as a rich historical pedigree. In addition to…