• Searching for Sakura

    After leaving the snow in Nagano behind, and spotting hundreds of tree lilacs on the drive from Nikko to Ibaraki, John and I were starting to feel spring fever. Which…

    April 20, 2015

  • Toshogu Shrine Nikko

    This article is available on GPSmyCity. Download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to all the attractions featured. More than 1000 years ago, a Buddhist priest named Shodo Shonin crossed…

    April 11, 2015

  • Kegon Falls

    If you’re prone to motion sickness, the road up to Kegon Falls is a challenge. Ascending 400m (1312 ft) in just a few kilometres, it snakes around 20 hairpin bends…

    April 5, 2015

  • The Onsen-Bathing Monkeys of Yamanouchi

    Because of Japan’s high volcanic activity, thousands of hot springs are scattered throughout the country. Locally known as onsen, the mineral-rich water is believed to cure a wide range of…

    April 1, 2015

  • Zenko-ji Temple Nagano

    This article is available on GPSmyCity. Download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to all the attractions featured. “Oh this isn’t so bad,” I thought as we entered the tunnel.…

    March 30, 2015

  • Sekinoo Falls and the Oketsugun Potholes

    “Woaah!” I exclaimed to Mark. “Are you seeing this?” The red shrine that he was investigating wasn’t enough to distract me from the roar of water falling down. An unexpected stop on our roadtrip…

    March 23, 2015

  • Doll Festival in Aya Town

    At this time of year, special dolls are set out on displays in homes and shops around Japan for the annual hinamatsuri (doll festival) celebration on March 3.

    March 2, 2015

  • Volcanic Island Sakurajima

    I have never seen an active volcano in real life before, so when John reminded me that there was one just a 15-minute ferry ride away from where we would be…

    February 10, 2015

  • A Walking Tour of Obi Castle Town

    This article is available on GPSmyCity. Download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to all the attractions featured. After Naked Man Festival, we decided to drive the hour south to see…

    February 7, 2015

  • Naked Man Festival

    When I returned to Japan after Christmas break, I found it only a couple of degrees warmer than I left it. Averaging a high of 13°C a day (about 55°F),…

    February 4, 2015

  • Staten Island’s Alice Austen House

    Staten Island is a dump—literally and figuratively. It used to house the world’s largest landfill before it closed in 2001, and although it is the third-largest borough of New York…

    February 2, 2015
All posts are shown