Backup Travel Accommodations in Japan — Try as I might, I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We had just been told by the station attendant that the Akita Shinkansen would not be running for the rest of the night. Yup, you read that right. Not running. Like at all. Along with many other now-stranded…

How this Kyoto Shrine Saved Me from Myself — In my many travels across Japan, I’ve visited A LOT of shrines. Though I’ve certainly been moved by many of these Shinto sanctuaries over the years, none ever managed to bring me to tears. That all changed recently when I visited Kyoto’s Yasui Konpiragu. Found in the Gion district, this…

My Visit to “Kyoto by the Sea” — These days, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t heard about Kyoto yet. That said, there’s so much more to the prefecture than just what most people envision when they think of the ancient capital. Today we’ll be taking a look at a pair of allures that are…

Chill Out on Chiba’s Boso Peninsula — How I ended up in Katsuura is a bit of a strange tale. The afternoon that I decided on a whim to go was a hectic Thursday. Exhausted to the core but also revved up by caffeine, I felt emasculated in the face of the deliverables that I had promised…

Northern Nagano’s Bucolic Hills & Valleys — Today, we’ll be getting off the beaten path again to examine Nagano Prefecture’s city of Iiyama. Truth be told, it was only recently that this part of Japan popped up on the radar for me. While I had some vague awareness of Iiyama being the jumping off point to go…

One of Hamamatsu’s Top Hidden Gems — Today, we’ll be venturing back to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Though this city is already somewhat of an off of the beaten path destination, the topic of this article is an even more obscure hidden gem (at least as far as inbound tourism to Japan is concerned). Known as Akihasan…

One of Gunma’s Three Sacred Mountains — Welcome back to another one of my crazy adventures in Japan. Today, we’ll be taking a look at Mt. Myogi and Myogi Shrine, the ancient sanctuary that sits atop this mysterious mountain. Found in the westernmost reaches of Gunma Prefecture, Mt. Myogi rarely if ever pops up on the radars…

Backyard Tourism Vol. 12 — The other week, I found myself in Kyoto for client-related work reasons. While I’d of course not pass up the chance to enjoy the city’s cherry blossoms, the primary purpose of my trip was professional. Still, I am a travel addict so you can bet your bottom dollar that I…

Why You Shouldn’t Skip this City in Shizuoka Prefecture — For a hot minute now, Shizuoka Prefecture’s city of Hamamatsu has been on my bucket list. Though I first got to visit back in 2021 for Tokyo Creative’s #HostTownRelay, I really never had enough time to thoroughly explore all of Hamamatsu. Thankfully, the gods of Japan recently deemed that it…