Category: Japan
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A Little Time in Japan and Little Time in China
Japan will always be on the top of my travel list. June was spent traveling around the southern parts of Japan. Previous visits were short, but we now had the ability to spend as much time as we liked or could afford on the weak USD. We started in Osaka since a couple of friends […]
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Sticker Shock in Japan
The island nation of Japan takes its food very seriously or at least tries to justify the large price tag for a very polished melon and other things most people find for much less back home or on the other side of the South China Sea. The same melon here in Japan would only set […]
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Hiking up to the Surface of the Moon in Japan
The beautiful landscape shaped by volcanoes and the art of bathing in a onsen attracts many visitors to Japan and beautiful mountain towns like Aso. This small town is the prefect place to experience Japanese culture and see one of the countries largest active volcanoes even in the rainy season. If it is sunny – […]
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The Sweet Volcanic Breezes of Mount Aso
JR Station in Kumamoto City Enough with castles for now and the cramped living style of the business hotel. Many parts of Kumamoto City are attractive enough for a short visit. The beauty and the history of the city can be seen in a few hours. Most of the major attractions are located in the […]
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The Last Samurai Castle of Kumamoto…Tom Cruise wasn’t here
At first, Kumamoto was just a place on map where the bus from Kagoshima stopped and we could transfer to the near by train station and move on to Mount Aso. It didn’t take long to find out that it is home to one of the finest castles in Japan next to Himeji outside of […]
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Circling the Flame
The one thing to not miss while staying in Kagoshima is making a day trip to the volcanic island of Sakurajima. The last major devastating blast was almost 50 years ago and hopefully it won’t go off again anytime soon. One of the three peaks still gives the surrounding area a daily coat of grey […]
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Quick stop in Kyoto and on to Kagoshima in Kyushu
Our stay in Kyoto was only a few days but we’re without regrets and are looking forward to what’s ahead. Our plans on where we are going in the weeks ahead are still pretty undefined. They mostly will be dependent on the weather, if we can find an apartment in Tokyo for the month of […]
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Return to the Land of the Rising Sun
We said good-bye to Shanghai on Friday as we boarded our taxi in the surprisingly sleepy Jing’an District. The ride to Pudong seemed like more a demonstration on how our taxi driver could get us to the airport faster than his nemesis the speedy Maglev. Of course, there are no working seat belts in this […]
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Spring NYC…what’s going on at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens
Now that the temps are rising and the sun has made its way through the thick grey clouds of this winter we here in NYC now look forward to many things that begin to open up and remind us that summer is on its way. This means we can comfortably dine outdoors without the assistance […]
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Hoi An..better part of the Banana Pancake Trail
It’s no wonder Hoi An is on most travelers itineraries while visiting Vietnam and South East Asia. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, a place to do some serious shopping and learn how to cook authentic Vietnamese food by a trained chef. Hoi An represents everything Vietnam is and more. French, japanese and chinese influences […]
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Takayama: A great day trip from Tokyo or Kyoto
Takayama has the looks of what “old” Japan used to look like. Located in the mountains in the northern Gifu prefecture, Takayama has been protected from modernization. Well…to some degree. The snowy winters, fertile land for rice fields and mountain spring water make it a a perfect place for sake brewing. The snow can cut […]
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What to do outside to Tokyo: Kawagoe “Little Edo”
There are so many reasons to find a Matsuri or Japanese Festival while in Japan. Amongst those are eating your way through the street food selections, participating and watching the festivities of the Matsuri and to see the Japanese taking the time to enjoy life after a long work week. One particular place which holds a […]
Farflungistan 