We had a few hikes planned for this summer trip, the reason for coming back to Japan in summer again, including two two-day hikes so we felt like we needed a warm-up hike. We wanted to go back to Gunma and I had learned of the hyakumeizan (one hundred famous mountains of Japan) and I … Continue reading Japan 2024 Day 3: Climbing Tanigawadake aka Death Mountain
After two more years of data collection have the statistics changed?
Driving 150 miles across Iwate to find the prefectures natural beauty spots!
After a freezing and almost completely sleepless night courtesy of Towadako Hostel we headed out to the lake side for sunrise. Our first stop after parking up was Towadako shrine, which is accessed by a short hike through the forest (beware of bears!). The shrine was really beautiful, nothing but trees surrounding the shrine buildings. … Continue reading Japan 2019 Day 4: Aomori road trip part 2
Our second day in Japan saw us waking up early to catch the 7am train to Yamadera in the neighbouring prefecture of Yamagata. The train takes about an hour from Sendai to Yamadera and goes through numerous small villages, and beneath the Japanese alps which reach north to south across the centre of Tohoku. The … Continue reading Japan 2019 Day 2: Yamadera & Matsushima
We landed at 5:25am at Tokyo's Haneda airport, this was my first time at Haneda airport and I was slightly disappointed by the arrivals area. There was only one small store and a coffee shop and I was pretty hungry after the 11 hour flight! The plan was to get our JR East pass exchanged … Continue reading Japan 2019 Day 1: Tokyo to Sendai
We're off again! On the 25th of October we are once again flying from London to Tokyo for our fifth trip to beautiful Japan. This time we are heading into the largely unexplored northern region of Honshu, Tohoku, for koyo season. They say that only 1% of tourists visit Tohoku, and since I haven't been … Continue reading Upcoming 2019 Tohoku koyo trip
Mostly every guide book for travelling in Japan will mention, if not feature, Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo. Most recognisable of all is the kaminarimon gate which welcomes visitors to the Senso-ji temple complex. Kaminarimon literally means thunder gate and houses the two Gods who greet you as you enter; Fujin and Raijin, the God of … Continue reading Asakusa Senso-ji
It is almost that time again!
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 to the sakura season, one of the busiest and most beautiful parts of Japans nature worship.
Sakura blossoms
If you are planning to travel to Japan it can seem overwhelming as to how to ensure you will be able to catch the 5-7 days when the blossoms are in full bloom, in all their glory. The way that the cherry blossom arrives in Japan is a sweeping front, starting in Kyushu in late March and ending in Hokkaido in late May. It is such an eagerly awaited part of the year that news channels and…
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My Nihon 