Let’s start with a bit of honesty here: Exploring a snowy mountain has never been a part of any of my travel lists. I guess in a way this is why I highly appreciated the uniqueness of my time traversing the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. This route offers a tour of the Japanese Alps; of sights that stretch from Tateyama, Toyama, and then Omachi in Nagano. And of course it is also home to the famous Tateyama Snow Corridor, which looks a little something like this: Coming here makes me appreciate the Japanese’s capacity for making everything so organized. You can see that there has been plenty of meticulous thought…
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Japan Travel Blog April 2015: Shirakawa-go
Nestled along the Shogawa River Valley between Gifu and Toyama is a village that has the most curious set of houses. I remember being asleep when our tour bus rolled to a stop here at Shirakawa-go, and even at my groggy state it’s hard not to notice the houses with their large and steeply-slanted thatched roofing. It’s hard to ignore as well how much they give the area such a charming small-town provincial feel. Apparently this style of housing is called Gassho-zukuri architecture, with the roofs looking like hands pressed in prayer. Gassho (合掌) literally translates to ‘hands together’. Some people describe it as a book standing open, but whatever…
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Japan Travel Blog April 2015: Takayama Old Town
Oh sakura season, why’d you have to end so soon? When my Dad and I arrived in Japan, it was already the tail-end of sakura season. In some parts of Japan the season was already over, but here in Takayama we were able to see a little bit of the magic that seems able to stop people on their tracks. It must be because it almost looks like the flowers are actually glowing in the sunlight. And just like I keep mentioning, this is my first time seeing cherry blossoms, so regardless of the fact that I couldn’t see cherry blossom season in its full glory I’ll take what I…
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Japan Travel Blog April 2015: Touchdown Nagoya!
Strictly speaking, this isn’t my first time in Japan. A few years ago while on a cruise from Shanghai, our ship had to dock at Fukuoka to refuel and we were allowed to walk around the nearby area for a couple of hours. A couple of hours. Who were they kidding! This time around I was here for six days and one night and not even that was close to enough! You guys have no idea how much I want to go back and explore some more. The moment we landed home I already wanted to plan my trip back! 🙂 When we landed in Nagoya it was over 8 in the…
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My version of 10 things to experience in Japan
I don’t think any country has ever imparted such a sense of calm and zen in me before. Japan is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and culturally rich countries in the world, but it also houses some of the most courteous people I have ever met. As a first-timer there, I am simply in awe. Japan has left such an impression on me that I wouldn’t mind going back again and again in the next few years. In fact, the reason why it took me so long to get this post up is because I’ve been busy with work and reading up on Japan in between. (Already…
