Christmas Lights in Miyazaki
For a country that doesn’t really celebrate Christmas, Japan sure knows how to do Christmas lights. They are the romantic backdrop for Christmas Eve – a night celebrated like Valentines Day,…
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Nyutabaru Air Festival
I’ve barely left my apartment these past two weekends—a last-ditch effort to tighten the purse strings before my big trip to New York later this month (12 days and counting!).…
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Exploring Aya Town
On the fourth day of Matthew’s visit—and the last day we would be able to sightsee together—we decided to visit Aya. An hour or so west of Takanabe, the town is…
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Cape Toi: Wild Horses and an Abandoned Hotel
The third of November was a perfect autumn day. The sun was a warm blanket in the car and the crisp, sea air blowing through the window was cool enough…
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Garden of Statues in Heiwadai Park
One of my colleauges sent me on a little treasure hunt one typhoon day. The students weren’t at school and I was sitting at my desk wondering why the teachers bothered to…
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Yabusame Festival Gone Wrong
Waking up to a spectacular view of the countryside from an apartment window in Kanoya, Kagoshima, I never thought the day would end in blood and tears.
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Cosmos in Kobayashi
It was supposed to be a jam-packed weekend: John was coming down for a visit, Monday was a holiday and there were three festivals to enjoy. Instead, Typhoon Vongfong came…
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Takachiho Gorge: Where the Gods Landed
On a long weekend in July, I made the 106 km (67 mi) trek up north by car to Takachiho Gorge. Since the holiday was Marine Day, it seemed fitting to spend it…
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Ushiku Daibutsu: The World’s Tallest Buddha
Standing at an unbelievable 120 m (394 ft) high, the Ushiku Daibutsu in Ibaraki is certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest Buddha figure in the world. To put…
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Lake Shoji: The Hidden Gem of Mt Fuji
Lake Shoji is a hidden gem at the base of Mt Fuji. The smallest of the Fuji Five lakes, it is beautifully quiet and serene, and completely removed from the…
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An Afternoon in Aokigahara – Part 1
During Golden Week, John and I spent two nights on the smallest of the Fuji Five lakes. Lake Shoji faces Aokigahara, the notorious woodland that sprawls 30 square kilometers across…
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