12 Original Japanese Castles: Conquer These Masterpieces Now
If you have been following along for a while, it should come as no surprise to you that I love Japanese castles! If you’ve missed the articles and IG posts …
How to Use Buses in Japan: 5 Tips for Fearless Travel in Japan
As someone who never a day in her life in America rode a bus, they can be intimidating. Sure, I used the subway or metro in bigger cities, but let’s …
200 Famous Castles in Japan: How to Best Stamp Rally!
Oh, Japan. Land of got-to-collect-them-all, including hundreds of castles in varying levels of existence. There are thousands of ruins from almost indistinguishable mounds to castle walls with no castle structures. …
10 Best Things to Do in Little-Known Kanazawa: Hidden Japan
Thanks to the expansion of the shinkansen, Kanazawa (金沢) is a quick ride from Tokyo. The capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture retains much of its charm due to being spared …
Nomura Samurai House Spotlight: How to Visit Unique Kanazawa
Located to the west of Kanazawa Castle, one of the 100 finest in Japan, resides the wonderfully well-preserved area of Nagamachi (長町). In the castle‘ day, this is where the …
Kasumigajo Park: Beautiful Japanese Garden in Fukui
Kasumigajo Park is located in the city of Sakai in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Probably one of the lesser-known prefectures, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a reason to go visit! …
How to Climb Mount Fuji Successfully with 10 Tested Tips to Exploit
There is an idiom in Japanese that has supposedly been around since Edo period:「富士山に一度も登らぬ馬鹿、二度登る馬鹿」which is normally translated as “A wise man climbs Mount Fuji once, a fool climbs it twice”. …
Kakegawa Castle – One of the 100 Finest in Japan
Kakegawa Castle in Kakegawa, Shizuoka prefecture, was my first castle after completing the mission to see the original 12 castles in Japan. I was expecting a castle facade with museum …
Matsumoto Castle – 12 Original Castles of Japan
Matsumoto Castle (松本城) in Nagano Prefecture was my first of the original Japanese castles to visit. An easy stopover for the snow monkeys or any ski trip up to the …
Maruoka Castle – Original 12 Japanese Castle Tour
Maruoka Castle claims to the oldest of the 12 original castles still in existence in Japan. I say “claims” because their signage all says so but they are not the …