With our last day of the JR pass we headed up into the mountainous area of Minakami, in Gunma prefecture It was nice to get out of the city again and see some more of the stunning natural beauty of Japan. We had booked to do a half day white water rafting tour through Canyons. We … Continue reading Japan 2013: Day 11; white water rafting in Gunma
For those of you that became interested in Japan thanks to the visually, and emotionally, stunning Ghibli/Miyazaki films that going to the Ghibli museum is a must-do! Please remember to book your tickets before you leave your home country, and in advance to. There is no photography allowed in the building, and I don't want … Continue reading Japan 2010: Day 5; Ghibli Museum
Looking back through these old memories it seems like our plan was just to do a tour of Tokyo's park! As the day after exploring Ueno park we headed to Yoyogi park, next to the famous Meiji Jingu. Now, exploring Tokyo's parks is actually a great way to experience Tokyo, as they all have a … Continue reading Japan 2010: Day 4; Yoyogi Park & Meiji Jingu
For our day in Kyoto we picked two of the main tourist attractions to visit; Kiyomizu dera temple and Fushimi Inari shrine, both situated on the eastern edge of the city. It was another hot, humid and overcast day as we made our way to one of the most famous temples in Kyoto. As many … Continue reading Japan 2013: Day 10- Kiyomizu dera & Fushimi Inari Shrine
For our second (full) day in Japan, our third since arriving, we headed to the local large city of Ueno. Ueno has a long history, the park itself was first opened in 1876, so it has been open for over 140 years! Sadly, a lot of Ueno was damaged or destroyed due to the bombings … Continue reading Japan 2010: Day 3; Exploring Ueno park
So we awoke in our tiny "double" bed in Asakusa feeling fresh thanks to a good nights sleep after 40 hours of travelling. We decided that we wanted to explore the area around our hotel a little, we had both been to Japan before, separately, but Asakusa Senso-ji is always a good place to start … Continue reading Japan 2010: Day 2; Asakusa in the rain
Castles played an important role in Japans history, right up until the Meiji restoration and the modernisation of Japan. Sadly, through war, fires, and in the name of progress, many Japanese castles were destroyed. Today, although Japan boasts a large number of castle keeps, only 12 are those that have remained through the years. Hikone … Continue reading The castle on lake Biwa: Hikone castle
My Japan trip in 2010 was for graduating my undergraduate degree (yay!). Myself and my university, who I studied Japanese with, headed off for a trip of a lifetime. We flew into Tokyo Narita airport and took the NEX into Tokyo, where we were staying at Asakusa Chisun Inn (which is now sadly closed). … Continue reading Japan 2010: Day 1 Arriving in Japan
Japan has an amazingly deferential relationship with nature, protecting the stunning environment that the islands of Japan home. One of the most intrinsically tied aspects of Japanese culture and nature is the cherry blossom phenomenon. If you have spent any time reading about, studying or visiting in Japan you will have seen the numerous references … Continue reading Chasing the cherry blossom: Getting the most out of sakura season in Japan!
In the Fuji Five lakes region of Japan, in Shizuoka prefecture there is another aspect of the World Heritage list, the waterfall Shiraito. Part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu national park Shiraito falls is situated to the west of Mount Fuji, about a 1 hour drive from Kawaguchiko, or it can be accessed by bus, although this … Continue reading Shiraito Falls- the widest waterfall in Japan
My Nihon 