Oct. 6, 2025
Whenever I’ve been asked why I never visited Kyoto despite having lived in Japan for so many years, I always gave excuses like, “Kyoto is a tourist trap,” or “I’d rather prioritize visiting places that are more difficult for conventional visitors.” I must admit, I regret that decision now—I’ve been missing out so much! Kyoto is truly amazing. I was welcomed by a perfect sunny weather and a local friend who brought me around to so many incredible place
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Oct. 5, 2025
I have been wanting to attend a world-level event for quite a while. After failing to attend the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic, the World Expo 2025 in Osaka seemed like the perfect choice . When I first entered the Expo, I couldn’t believe the immense scale of the expo. Despite the size and pack with exhibitions, the venue was still struggling to cater to the crowds. Attendees coul
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Oct. 4, 2025
Generally, anything that sucks things in scares me, especially something that looks like a vortex. But since I was already passing through Naruto, I thought it would be a great chance to see the Naruto whirlpools in real life. When I arrived, I did feel that the Onaruto Bridge (大鳴門橋) had stolen the charm from the natural whirlpools. Personally, I’d call it a white version of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. The whirlpools were still impressive, though—especially after seeing how o
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Oct. 3, 2025
The Udatsu Townscape felt like a typical Edo-period town being redeveloped for tourism when I researched it online. Yet, it still became one of my top recommendations for visiting Mima City in Tokushima. Since the location is a bit remote, the place had smaller crowds, which gave me the chance to truly observe the beauty of the building architecture in this town. I love that people still live in this area, treating it as a real home, which makes the town feel more alive than just a redevelope
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Oct. 3, 2025
I’ve been to multiple gorges in Japan, including famous ones like Nagatoro and Geibikei Gorge in Ichinoseki, but Oboke Gorge felt personally different . Its real charm was the journey to the gorge itself, with highways surrounded by vast mountain and stream views. There were multiple parking stop points to capture and enjoy this scenery along the way, but they were often already occupied by cars that ha
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Oct. 2, 2025
Never in my life did I think that an 800-year-old bridge could be so well-preserved, still able to be crossed and admired by younger generations like myself . But I guess this is the charm and something unique about Japan—its culture of appreciating and preserving the value of its heritage. This place was deep in the valley to get to, but it was worth checking out, especially for a refreshing break after hiki
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Oct. 2, 2025
The 百名山 (Hyakumeizan) list will always be my reference when hiking in Japan . So far, I have never been disappointed by the lists suggested by this book. One of the attractions of hiking mountains with heights almost 2000m in altitude like Tsurugi-san is the grassland field and beautiful ridgelines at the peak. This mountain was my first hike in the Shikoku island, and it reminded me a lot of Tanigaw
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Oct. 2, 2025
After many years of living in Japan, I finally got to visit Shikoku for the first time . I first learned about Shikoku through the Island Bear Project, something I was interested in as an enthusiastic hiker . Rural Japan is always interesting to visit, but access to these regions can be difficult for people who rely on public
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