Japan

A Quick Guide to Nikko, Japan

A Quick Guide to Nikko, Japan

10/20/2016
Cities, Nikko, Off the beaten track
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Nikko is usually proffered as a weekend or daytrip from Tokyo, but you could easily spend weeks exploring this place. Prepare to happen upon shrines and statues galore, monkeys, waterfalls, lakes, hot springs - the list goes on and on. This beautiful and eerie place will stay with you long after you leave. Between UNESCO world heritage shrines and temple[...]
5 Reasons to Visit Hokkaido, Northern Japan

5 Reasons to Visit Hokkaido, Northern Japan

10/14/2016
Hokkaido, Inspiration, Off the beaten track
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Picture a road that goes up and down until you lose sight of it. Both sides are covered with sunflowers and as the sun sets, the sky goes from clear blue to burnt orange and bright yellow. The wind feels nice, and as you bike your way to the little farm at the end of the road, a fluffy fox looks at you from afar and then runs off before you can snap a pictur[...]
A Bow and a Pen: How to master Language Barriers in Japan

A Bow and a Pen: How to master Language Barriers in Japan

10/12/2016
Japan, Personal Stories, Travel Tips
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For me part of the fun of traveling is the friendly and happy mañana, mañana of Central America or the relaxed pole, pole of East Africa, which is so different from the strict organisation of Western Europe. I associated Japan with politeness and reservedness, so the country wasn’t particularly high on my bucket list. But when my sister found hersel[...]
10 Things I Love about My Life in Japan

10 Things I Love about My Life in Japan

10/07/2016
Japan, Personal Stories, Top 10
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Many people talk about the things travelers should know before going to Japan - what's polite to do or not, table manners, how to behave on the streets etc. What I'd like to share though, is what happens when you live there; the little things that make Japan Japan, that say: 'You are living in Japan, and this place feels like home to you.' For example,[...]
7 Reasons To Add Kyoto To Your Bucket List

7 Reasons To Add Kyoto To Your Bucket List

06/04/2016
Cities, Kyoto, Travel Tips
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Home to tranquil temples, lush gardens, striking shrines and mysterious geishas, a visit to Japan would not be complete without venturing to its cultural and historic centre, Kyoto. Providing a striking contrast to the chaotic, neon-lit and modernistic mega city of Tokyo, Kyoto is a completely different world. The city exudes warmth, classic character and a [...]
48 hours on the Japanese Art Islands

48 hours on the Japanese Art Islands

03/23/2016
Beaches, Japan, Must do's, Travel Tips
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Originally dotted by small fishing and farming communities the Japanese Art Islands are now also home to galleries, coffee shops and art installations.  The main islands, Naoshima and Teshima are about 3 hours from Kyoto by train and ferry. Visiting this area does require a bit of planning, mostly to coordinate transport, but it’s so worth it. Let me te[...]
The colours of Japan

The colours of Japan

05/26/2015
Japan, Personal Stories
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I was about to visit Asia for the first time, and of course I had certain things in mind, when I thought about Japanese culture and its people. Still, I didn't really know what to expect. I am not a big planner and think that it doesn't matter how much research and planning you do in advance - the experience itself is the thing that counts and without too[...]
The Hot Springs of Beppu, Japan

The Hot Springs of Beppu, Japan

04/11/2015
Japan, Off the beaten track, Places
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Billowing white clouds rise up towards the sky, and the drizzling rain only adds to the eerie feeling I get. I'm in Beppu, on the Japanese island of Kyushu. The steam, too light to be seen as smoke, looks completely different to anything I have ever seen before. The Kanazawa Jigokus are volcanic hot springs where you can gaze at the bubbling, frothing vol[...]

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