A photo essay of fish markets, shrines, village life legacies, and contemporary gems around Yahiko, Niigata, Japan.
Tag: japan travel
Rural Japan: Yahiko Village in 40 Photos
A photo essay of Yahiko in Niigata Prefecture, rural Japan. Includes Shinto shrines, Japanese sweets, temples, forests, and sunsets.
Japan’s Lost Pilgrimage: Kunisaki in 55 Photos
A weekend trip to the Rokugo Manzan, 33 Buddhist temples around Mount Futago in Oita Prefecture, Japan.
Freak Japan Travel Expenses Explained: 10 Tips & Public Budget Sheet
3 months of Japan travel expenses on a public spreadsheet, and your chance to ask questions and get backpacking tips!
Yamaguchi Cafes: A Coffee List and Map
Hi there! This post has two parts. The first is a map of just Shimonoseki City’s cafes. The second part features cafes I’ve visited in different cities in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Part 1: Shimonoseki City Map This is a map of independent cafes in Shimonoseki City in Yamaguchi Prefecture. It is based off of the Shimonoseki Saten Map (Japanese), which is available online. Shimonoseki is worth stopping over if you are on your way to Fukuoka using a JR Pass. There is the Karato Fish Market for fresh value sushi and pufferfish (fugu), the local specialty. It is open daily until 3pm. It is…
14 Quintessential Bookshops in Tokyo’s Booktown, Jimbocho
Whether you’re looking for pulp fiction and manga, or antique collectibles, you’ll find them in Jimbocho’s 180+ bookstores, some over 100 years old!
Vegetarian’s Survival Guide to Japan: Some False Friends and 10 Good Options
A vegetarian and vegan guide to hidden fish dishes, and 10 safe food options for travelling Japan!
Henro Day 26: July 16
Imabari City (今治市) Temples: 57 Eifuku-ji (栄福寺), 58 Senyū-ji (仙遊寺), 59 Iyo Kokubun-ji (伊予国分寺) Weather: Rain + Typhoon Travel Method: Walking + Train return to Imabari Distance: 16.8km Typhoon day! It’s forecasted to make landfall tonight, so I still have the morning to visit the temples clustered around Imabari. My hosts, having walked the Ohenro themselves, urge me to get up earlier. I crawl out of bed at 6:30 for breakfast as I’d promised Akiko. She’s humming away, asking if I want coffee, and tells me to eat first. She gets a warmed up dinner roll and a tray of condiments. Orange juice…
Henro Day 24: July 14
Matsuyama City (松山市) → Kuma Kogen (久万高原) → Iyowake (伊予和気) Temples: 44 Daihō-ji (大宝寺), 45 Iwaya-ji (岩屋寺) Weather: Sunny Travel Method: Car + Light Walking Distance: (+42.6km) Today is a late day because Noriko-san, the Couchsurfing friend I’d met yesterday, is driving me up to Temples 44 and 45. Even though I was looking forward to a mountain trail between the two temples, a car is a much more realistic solution. I wake up late-ish, have breakfast, and repack all the things I’ve spread out over three beds my empty-shared room. The smell of mosquito incense is reassuringly thick, which means my tent will properly…
Henro Day 23: July 13
Matsuyama City 松山市 Temples: None Weather: Sunny with Clouds Travel Method: Walking + Car Distance: None Glorious sleep, oh glorious sleep. Real henro holiday. Henro-related things: zero. Today is errand day and lunch with a Couchsurfing host. I drift into the living room, savour the yogurt, cereal, and cut fruits. I step outside onto the covered veranda and my laundry baked dry. Clean. And it will stay clean for at least another day. Even the thought makes me giddy. I head out in search of a barber to shave my head. In this summer heat, even 2-inches has a noticeable difference….
