Iwakuni Castle and Ropeway
On the other side of Kintaikyo lies Kikko Park, the grounds of the former residence of the Iwakuni domain lords. The park is home to a number of historical buildings,…
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A Walk Across Kintaikyo
In the west of Yamaguchi prefecture, bordering Hiroshima, is the historical city of Iwakuni. It’s most famous for its arched bridge, which is one of the Nihon Sanmeikyo, or Three…
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Motonosumi Inari Shrine
In case you missed it, I’m back in Japan. And one of the best things about it is getting to catch up with old friends. I recently spent the day…
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Goodbye, Japan!
After four years, the time has finally come to say goodbye to my life in Japan. In just a few days, I’ll be getting on a plane bound for Stars…
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Sun Messe: The Maoi of the East
In the Valparaíso Region of Chile, a group of statues equal in shape and size rise from a site known as Ahu Akivi and stare out into the Pacific Ocean.…
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Kumamoto Castle, Under Construction
“Please visit Kumamoto Castle,” my colleague urged when I told her we’d be driving through Kumamoto City on the way back from Nagasaki during the Golden Week holidays. The popular…
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Yanagawa: The City of Water
“Aaa-eeh,” the punter sang, “tsukino dokoromo hatsukano yamimoe.” His throat danced around a different note for each of the syllables of the old Japanese poem. The sun was beating down,…
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Nagasaki Peace Park and the 26 Martyrs
Of all the things we had planned to do in Nagasaki, I was most curious to see the Peace Park. Established in 1955 to commemorate the atomic bombing on August…
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Glover Garden and Dejima Island
On top of Minami-yamate, a gorgeous hillside overlooking Nagasaki Harbour, sits Glover Garden (グラバー園), an open-air museum of the homes of former Western residents of the city, who settled there after…
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Inside Japan’s Dutch Theme Park
I’ve always dreamed of visiting the Netherlands, partly due to my Dutch ancestry but mostly because of my love of cheese and other edibles. So when Golden Week began approaching, an annual string of…
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Hitoyoshi Cherry Blossoms
On the first weekend of April, Austin and I were out hiking in the north of Nobeoka when all of a sudden it began to snow. Snow! In April! I…
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