Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
The area around Japan’s Seto Inland Sea is one of my favorite parts of the country. Home to thousands of islands, this beautiful body of water belies many secrets and hidden gems. Few of them, though, can hold a candle…
When it comes to Japan’s bloody Warring States period (1467–1600), no conflict looms larger than the Battle of Sekigahara. Fought on a misty morning on October 21, 1600, this pivotal clash marked the culmination of decades of political chaos and…
Today folks, we are going to talk about Takamatsu City. Formerly a castle town found on the northeastern part of Shikoku, one of Japan’s four main islands, Takamatsu used to be the main gateway port from Honshu before the construction…
Buckle up, everyone. Today, we’re diving into a group I’ve been itching to feature on this blog for what feels like forever. Known today as the Murakami Suigun, this band of seafaring warlords were basically Japan’s answer to pirate lords,…
When I started making content online all those years ago, one of the goals I set for myself was to visit each and every one of Japan’s 47 prefectures. I had originally planned to complete the list by the end…
“Kitanai naaaa, omae,” a Japanese salaryman scowled at me, glaring with the lifeless eyes of a dead fish. I had just left the convenience store outside Asakusa Station and was parting ways with a family member staying at one of…
When it comes to Miyazaki, few places are more iconic than Takachiho. Tucked away in the northernmost part of the prefecture, deep in the central mountains of Kyushu, this area is home to legendary sites like Takachiho Gorge and Amano…
When it comes to Miyazaki, most people are only aware of the prefecture’s most iconic attractions, like Takachiho Gorge and Amano Iwato Shrine. Alas, there’s so much more to Miyazaki than just these well-known spots. For example, in the southern…
This is going to be a relatively shorter article than I normally write. You see, I currently have family visiting from overseas (which is actually the inspiration for this rant) and will be attending to them for the next few…
Recently, I ventured out to the Setouchi region of Japan to catch up with friends working in the local tourism industry. While there, we hit up a lesser-known festival in Hiroshima’s city of Fuchu that was complete with fireworks, musical…
Welcome to Ehime Prefecture’s Imabari City. Located in Shikoku on the far side of the famed Shimanami Kaido — a series of bridges that connects Shikoku with Japan’s main island of Honshu — this important shipbuilding town is the second-largest city in all of…
As I sit down to write this, it’s early in the morning and I am yet again zipping across Japan on a bullet train. My destination this time is Okayama Station, where I’ll catch another limited express train that will…
The mention of Japan’s twelve surviving original castles has come up a number of times now over the years. Given the repeated frequency, it’s high time that there finally be a standalone feature on this lasting dozen of medieval fortresses,…
Previously, in my exhaustive exposé on Matsuyama City, I introduced the hot spring town of Dogo Onsen. Alas, as it was an overview of all things to see and do in the region, I didn’t really have time to go…
Despite living there for most of my adult life, Tokyo can be overwhelming. While you can find pockets of peace scattered throughout the prefecture (yes, Tokyo is a prefecture), the urban chaos is something I often feel the need to…