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A Different Side of Japan

Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems

  • Start Here
  • About Me
  • Area Guides
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A Different Side of Japan

Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems

  • Area Guides

Northern Akita | Home of the the Matagi & the Akita Inu

An adorable Akita Inu stands in front of the 大 character that is burned into a mountain side in northern Akita Prefecture.

When I originally published my in-depth primer on Akita Prefecture, I thought I had covered it all. Alas, as is always the case with Japan, no endeavor to thoroughly introduce a place is ever fully complete. In my foolishness, I…

  • Donny Kimball
  • September 29, 2024
  • Area Guides

Savor Shimonoseki | Japanese History & Chic Port City Vibes

Clad in Japanese style suites of armor, a statues of Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune and Taira-no-Tomomori face off against the backdrop of Kanmon Bridge and the Kanmon Straights. This battle thrust Shimonoseki to the forefront of Japanese history.

The city of Shimonoseki has LONG been on my bucket list, but for one reason or another, it took me forever to finally get there. As you’ll understand after reading this article, I’m quite ashamed to admit that I should…

  • Donny Kimball
  • September 21, 2024
  • Travel Tips

The History of Japan | What You Should Know Before Coming

The Edo period (1603–1868) townscape of Hida-Takayama in Gifu Prefecture is a great example of what life would have been like and offers an amazing glimpse of the history of Japan.

Japan is an absolutely incredible destination, from its stunning natural landscapes to the buzzing energy of its cities. You don’t need to be a history buff to fall in love with the place, but trust me — getting a grip on Japan’s…

  • Ai Mirai
  • September 15, 2024
  • Area Guides

Motonosumi Inari Shrine | A Yamaguchi Prefecture Hidden Gem

Motonosumi Shrine (or Motonosumi Jinja in Japanese) is a popular shrine for photographers that can be found along the coast of Yamaguchi

If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve likely seen plenty of pictures of Motonosumi Inari Shrine. Located along the coast of the Sea of Japan in Yamaguchi Prefecture, this Shinto sanctuary is one of the most photogenic spots…

  • Donny Kimball
  • September 2, 2024
  • Travel Tips

What to Know When Visiting Japan | My List of 47 Key Things

A man pulls two overseas tourists riding a rickshaw in Arashiyama, Kyoto.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably already heard about the massive tourism boom Japan is experiencing. Driven by a weak yen and a deluge of social media-induced FOMO, it seems like everyone, their mother, and even their…

  • Donny Kimball
  • August 26, 2024
  • Area Guides

Kagoshima’s Kirishima Jingu | One of Kyushu’s Best Shrines

Kirishima Jingu Shrine (霧島 神宮) or Kirishima Shrine is one of Kagoshima Prefecture's top attractions and is nearly a millennia old.

I’ll be straight with you, Kagoshima Prefecture is pretty cool. Comprising all of southern Kyushu, this part of Japan is blessed both with a rich history and beautiful nature. Though these days, Kagoshima is most well known for the role…

  • Donny Kimball
  • August 4, 2024
  • Area Guides

Tokyo’s Ono Terusaki Shrine | Backyard Tourism Vol. 15

Onoterusaki Shrine (小野 照 崎 神社) is a small Shinto sanctum in east Tokyo that is known as a pilgrimage spot for people looking to give up some sort of food as a way of improving their spiritual acuity. The structure survived much of the ravages of history and is a great addition to any Tokyo itinerary.

One summer, we were having our regular Baemeshi (a media company I set up with Kyodo PR, my former employer) for the month of July with the now-chairman when he mentioned that he had just recently made a pilgrimage to…

  • Donny Kimball
  • July 28, 2024
  • Area Guides

Kyushu’s Kuma Valley | The Historic Castle Town of Hitoyoshi

After biking up Mt. Takayama during a visit to Hitoyoshi-kuma, my group paused to eat some lunch before continuing on to the next part of the course as part of an e-bike tour. Like with Maruoka Park, this spot gives a commanding vantage point and affords epic vistas of the landscape below, making it an ideal rest stop to take a break.

Welcome back to another installment of getting far off the beaten path. In this issue, we’ll be exploring a hidden gem in Kyushu known as the Kuma Valley. This area essentially maps to the confines of Hitoyoshi City (or more…

  • Donny Kimball
  • July 21, 2024
  • Area Guides

The Shio-no-Michi | On Iwate’s Shorthorn Bovine & Salt Road

A statue of a Japanese Shorthorn and a handler carrying salt from Noda over to Morioka on the Shio-no-Michi.

It was late February, and we were taking refuge from the cold at a ski lodge up in the Appi Highlands of Iwate. Outside, soft, powdery snow fluttered down tenderly from the heavens above. The journey that led us here…

  • Donny Kimball
  • July 14, 2024
  • Area Guides

Miyazaki City | Aoshima, Miyazaki Shrine & Udo Jingu

The island of Aoshima, its Oni-no-Sentakuita and Aoshima Beach as seen from a drone shot taken over the Pacific Ocean. This is one of the most iconic spots in Kyushu’s city of Miyazaki.

Recently, I was down in Hitoyoshi City in Kumamoto’s Kuma Valley for a creator gig. Not wanting to waste an opportunity to explore more of Kyushu, I decided to extend my time in the area and cross Miyazaki Prefecture off…

  • Donny Kimball
  • July 7, 2024
  • Area Guides

Mt. Omine & Ominesan-ji | Back to Nature, Back to Myself

A yamabushi descends from the upper sections of Nara Prefecture’s Mt. Omine, the birthplace of Shugendo in Japan.

Let me preface this article by saying that this one is going to be quite different from my usual area guides. While I will certainly be detailing the significance of Mt. Omine and its ancient temple complex of Ominesan-ji throughout,…

  • Donny Kimball
  • June 23, 2024
  • Area Guides

Mt. Akagi & Akagi Shrine | One of the Three Peaks of Jomo

No matter what time of the year it is, Mount Akagi is bound to have something to do. From Akagi Shrine's solemn charm to the hiking trails of the summertime, you'll never be without something to do here.

“Why the hell am I watching Initial D… On TikTok of all place!?!?” I was 45 minutes into a rather bad doom scroll, and the Algorithm Allfather had somehow decided that I was into an anime about car racing (I…

  • Donny Kimball
  • June 9, 2024
  • Area Guides

Akita’s Unsho-ji | One of the Best Hydrangea Spots in Japan

Akita Prefecture’s Unshoji temple is located on the Oga Peninsula. It’s best known as somewhere to visit for its hydrangea gardens during the early months of summer.

Just as is the case with the cherry blossoms, Japan has a lot of amazing locations for the hydrangea season. Over the years, I’ve been to many of the popular spots like Kamakura’s Meigetsu-in, but few places can compare with…

  • Donny Kimball
  • June 2, 2024
  • Area Guides

Musashi’s Miyamoto | The Birthplace of this Iconic Legend

An artistic rendition of the famed swordsman Miyamoto Musashi in the manga style of Vagabond.

Ever since first reading the Japanese historical novelist Yoshikawa Eiji’s book Musashi, I’ve had a bit of an obsession with Japan’s most notorious swordsman. Known to history as Miyamoto Musashi, this famed fencer from the early days of the Edo…

  • Donny Kimball
  • May 26, 2024
  • Area Guides

Kyoto’s Magical Miyama | Kayabuki-no-Sato & So Much More

This small town in Miyama is known as the Kayabuki-no-Sato and is absolutely enchanting to behold, especially when you compare its charm to the crowds of central Kyoto City.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, you’ve probably already heard that Japan has a bit of an overtourism problem. As you might imagine, the issue is especially prevalent in the big cities, with Kyoto in particular bearing much…

  • Donny Kimball
  • May 19, 2024
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About A Different Side of Japan
Exploring the sides of Japan that you can't find in any of the mainstream travel guides. Come follow the adventure!

Every week, I publish helpful travel tips and in-depth walkthroughs on how to visit some of the top hidden gems in Japan.

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