Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
Nowadays, thanks to the likes of Kusatsu Onsen and other Instagrammable hot springs, Gunma Prefecture shows up on the digital radar of overseas visitors far more often than it used to in years gone by. Still, many people who come…
“Why are there so many f@$#ing dudes here today…?” I thought to myself one Sunday night as I surveyed the sea of shlongs that had invaded Matsuri-no-Yu, a hot spring on top of Seibu-Chichibu Station. For years now, this onsen…
I’ll be honest with you, both on this blog and in real life, I rarely, if ever, venture into the realm of politics. At the end of the day, there are just too many things already on my plate that…
When most people think of Hiroshima, they conjure up images of the Atomic Bomb Dome or the iconic “floating” torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine. Alas, there is so much more to the prefecture than just these mainstays. In fact, unbeknownst…
Rather than take a look at one of the countless hidden gems in Japan as we usually do, today, I want to zoom out and discuss why one ought to, or even needs to, get off the beaten path when…
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 on this Japan travel blog. 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…
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…