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Japan

The “Land of the Rising Sun” – is an archipelago of more than 6,800 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The main islands are, from North to South: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, which make up for 97% of the land of Japan. Its population is more than 126 million inhabitants.

12 October 2016 – Hakone – Japan Vacation Part 10

One last stop before ending this vacation. David insisted that we visit the Hakone Open-Air Museum, a famous outdoor sculpture park in the mountains near Tokyo. Hakone is the typical resort/hot springs that people from the cities like to visit. They usually have enough time for a long weekend trip so places like this appeal to that need. While I was starting to get...

11 October 2016 – Takayama – Japan Vacation Part 9

Two weeks ago I decided on a whim to visit a new (to me) city, Takayama. For the life of me I could not find a hotel or hostel. I finally got something on Monday. It turns out that we caught the tail end of one of the biggest fall festivals in Japan. The city is actually has 3 big festivals throughout the year. The train ride up to the mountains from Nagoya took...

10 October 2016 – Hiroshima – Japan Vacation Part 8

After a few days in Kyoto, we took a day trip to Hiroshima. I’ve not been back here since 2009, at the time I rode the train for 5 hours, walked to the peace memorial, then went strait back to Tokyo. I didn’t realize one of the most famous shrines (photograph) in Japan was located here. The Itsukushima Shrine is located on an Island on the south west side...

9 October 2016 – Kyoto – Japan Vacation Part 7

Travel companion David McDowell and I, having left the Mooks and Motts in Tokyo, took a Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto. These trains are a modern marvel. For trips of this distance it is cheaper and more comfortable than flying. A JR Rail Pass makes it even easier for tourists. Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, is a great place to visit. It has just a stark...

6 October 2016 – FujiQ Highland Theme Park – Japan Vacation Part 6

When I visited Fujikawaguchiko three years ago I found out that a famous theme park was located here. I took an opportunity on this trip to try it out. Most of the rollar coasters set world records over the last 2 decades. While it is no Cedar Point, it definitely is one to try at least once. As a fun cultural shock, you have to take your shoes off for one of these...

4 October 2016 – Mt. Fuji – Japan Vacation Part 5

We spent all day traveling to Fujikawaguchiko, a town and series of lakes at the north base of Mt. Fuji. I discovered this location about 3 years ago and was really excited to share with Zach, Jessey, Natalie, and David. It takes about an hour of train riding to get there. By a happy accident, we ended up on a tourist sight seeing train. Arriving late in the day...

1 October 2016 – Tokyo Walking Tour – Japan Vacation Part 4

Jessey and Natalie arrived on friday completing my odd group of travel companions. Zach decided (I agreed) that it would be a good idea to take a walking tour of favorite sites in the metro. It is a great way to get over jet lag a little bit faster. This is technically the first time in nearly 15 years that Zach, David, Jessey, and I have all been in the same place...

29 September 2016 – Kamakura day trip – Japan Vacation Part 3

Zach invited David and I to take a day tour of the City of Kamakura. It is located along the coast to the south of Tokyo. We met up at Ikabukaro Station during rush hour and made a 1 hour train ride to the south. Ah rush hour… First, we visited the Hase-Dara Buddhist temple. Next, we walked to the Kotoku-in  Buddhist temple, home of one of the largest...

27 September 2016 – Akihabara, Tokyo – Japan Vacation Part 2

Most of the time when I tell people I am visiting Japan they get the wrong impression that all of Japan is Anime, Video games, and other general weirdness. If I took you off the plane, blindfolded you, and only let you see the following area, you would probably believe it. I am speaking of an area called Akihabara, home of the Akiba Electric Town. I like this place...

26 September 2016 – Asakusa, Tokyo – Japan Vacation Part 1

I spent my first 3 days alone in my usual spot. Asakusa is a district in the Taito ward of the Metropolis of Tokyo. I discovered a few good hostels here during a trip in 2009. Hotels in Tokyo are expensive, usually around $300 a night. While I can budget, save, and afford such accommodations, I prefer staying at Hostels for 1/10th the price and avoid the opportunity...