Exotic Islands in Japan’s Southern Reaches
Note: This article was originally published at www.japan.travel...
The islands of Okinawa are quickly becoming popular with overseas visitors. And even though Japan is not necessarily known as a beach resort destination, locales like Miyakojima and Ishigaki are making a name for themselves outside the domestic market. And while it’s…
Saitama Prefecture’s Sea of Spider Lilies
For the past month or so, my entire feed on Instagram has been overtaken by red spider lilies. Known in Japanese as manjushage or higanbana (the term that I’ll opt to use from here on out), these flowers are synonymous with the arrival of fall in Japan. Generally, they are…
Samurai Era Vibes & Sacred Islands
Just recently, I had a harrowing realization while reviewing the locations that I’ve covered here on this blog thus far. Somehow, I had managed to skip featuring Shiga Prefecture’s charming town of Nagahama. Despite spending my most formative years nearby in Hikone and then also rolling through a number of…
A Look at What Agencies Here Actually Do
Even though Kyodo PR is the leading PR agency in Japan, answering the question of what actually constitutes PR in this day and age is a difficult one for us. While it would be an easy query in the days of yesteryear, the advent of new platforms like social media…
Asking How I Can Best Be of Service Right Now
This week, we are going to get a bit meta. Rather than write another guide about some rural hidden gem, I want to instead put the travel content on pause and ask you, the reader, a question. You see, given that international travel is still very much off of the…
Wanted: Unlimited Lifetimes for Just Japan
As I sit down to write this, it’s 6:00 AM on a Saturday morning and I am traveling on a bullet train bound for Shiga Prefecture in western Japan. Prior to opening up a new story here on Medium, I was lazily gazing out the window at the bucolic countryside…
Challenging the Highest Mountain in All of Tokyo
Just how many hours had it been since I started making my arduous ascent toward the summit of Mt. Kumotori (lit. “Cloud Catcher Mountain”)? Somewhere along the way, I had switched off the active part of my mind for the first time in a while. Step after step, I was…
Why You Need to Explore the Seto Inland Sea
For someone like myself claiming a serious addiction to Japan, there are countless areas in this amazing country that I treasure. For example, the northern Tohoku region will always hold a special place in my heart. Home to sacred sites like the Dewa Sanzan and Mt. Osore, this area of…
How to Visit This Trio of Antediluvian Sanctuaries
Ever since I started producing travel content in 2016 (and indeed even before that), I have wanted to check out Wakayama Prefecture’s three ancient Kumano shrines. Allegedly dating back to before the founding of the Yamato polity and the imperial line, this trifecta is collectively known as the Kumano Sanzan…
Why Now’s the Time for Public Relations
A few weeks ago, I was reading this report by the marketing automation service Kylavio on how the recent iOS 14 update has adversely affected the efficacy of Facebook ads. Until spring 2021 when the changes went live, the platform was by far the best option out there in terms…
Donny Kimball
Tokyo-based freelance digital marketing consultant who is addicted to exploring the lesser known sides of Japan. donnykimball.com
