All Aboard the Sanyo Main Line: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 9
After a two-day stay, we left the city of Hiroshima behind us and boarded a series of local trains on the Sanyo...
Frittering About in Fukuoka: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 10
Sometimes, the best days of a vacation are the ones where things fail to go as planned. When an amusement park turned...
Japanese Country Town Profile: One Day In Kiso Fukushima
If you’re planning a trip to the Kiso Valley, perhaps to walk the Nakasendo Trail, you will likely arrive in Kiso-Fukushima, the...
The Nakasendo Trail: 1 day hike from Magome to Tsumago
Picture this: you're a feudal lord (daimyo) with land, money and power within your community. You live hundreds of kilometres from the...
The Healing Waters of Hitoyoshi: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 11
On day 11 of our trip, we left Fukuoka and after a brief and unexpected ramen lunch, found ourselves in the small...
Forests, Lakes and Ancient Trails: Day trips in the Kiso-Valley
Deep in the mountains of Nagano prefecture, sidling the Japanese Central Alps, lies the pristine Kiso Valley. The clear and cool Kiso...
Riding the Isaburo-Shinpei : Tokyo to Okinawa Day 12
Our last day of train travel didn’t disappoint. On the way down to Kagoshima, we rode the Isaburo-Shinpei line, which takes passengers...
The Many Eruptions of Sakurajima: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 13
At the southern tip of the Japanese mainland and the island of Kyushu, the port of Kagoshima is home to one of...
The Okinawa Ferry Voyage: Tokyo to Okinawa Day 14
This is the last day of our trip from Tokyo to Okinawa, but the journey doesn’t stop with the Okinawa ferry. To...
The High Walls of Shuri Castle: Okinawa Without a Car Day...
Its frequently said that a car is the perfect way to experience Okinawa. It lacks the dense interconnected rail system that dominates...