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Aokigahara Forest: The Reality of Japan’s “Suicide Forest”
Aokigahara Forest, located just northwest of Mt. Fuji’s base has long been the speculation of mystery and has an eerie reputation. Known as the “Sea of Trees” or unfortunately, more famously known as “The Suicide Forest,” Aokigahara Forest has captured the attention from people around the world. Japan’s Suicide Forest has been the the subject in horror movies, folklore, and dark tourism. But is Aokigahara Forest really shrouded in mystery and unfortunate events or is simply a peaceful forest, rich in natural beauty? In this post, I’ll dive into my recent trip to Aokigahara Forest and explore what makes this forest so captivating to so many people and recommend some…
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Is Hakone Worth Visiting?
Hakone, Japan is known for Owakudai, The Hakone Open-Air Museum, and Heiwa no Torii, a famous Torii Gate built on the shores of Lake Ashi. A short drive from the Mt. Fuji area and an easy trip from Tokyo, Hakone is a popular tourist destination where visitors come for its beautiful resorts, many attractions, and scenic areas. Hakone has been on my list of places to visit in Japan for a while now, mainly because of the Heiwa no Torii. I am glad I visited Hakone, but after leaving the area, I felt both satisfied and disappointed. So is Hakone worth visiting? **This post contains affiliate links. If you click…
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Visit Kumejima – Beaches, Caves, Views, and So Much More
This is post 16 of 18 in the series “Discover Okinawa” Discover Okinawa is a series of posts that has everything to do with all things Okinawa. Join us on our journey as we bike around islands, explore Okinawa’s wildlife, eat amazing food, and everything in between! Visiting Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium: From Coral Reefs to Whale Sharks Okinawa Battle Sites Tour Day Trip To Cape Hedo, Okinawa Zamami Island, Okinawa Hiji Falls Hike, Okinawa Tsuken Island Okinawa, aka “Carrot Island” Iriomote Island, Japan – Beaches, Jungles, and Wild Cats Okinawa World Heritage Sites Indiana Jones Trail, Okinawa Exploring Ie Shima, Okinawa Tunnel Rats, Exploring Okinawa’s WWII Caves Okinawa Night Hike,…
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12 Recommended Things to do in Seoul, South Korea
Seoul, South Korea’s capital 🇰🇷 is a huge business, cultural, and economical city. With a population over 25 million people to include the metropolitan area, Seoul can take weeks if not months and years to explore. Seoul offers everything imaginable from gigantic palaces and exciting food markets to a vibrant night life and stress free parks. If you simply have but a week or two to explore this huge city and are looking for things to do in Seoul or places to visit, I came up with a list of my top 12 recommended things to do in Seoul. **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the…
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Exploring the Best Street Markets in Seoul
No doubt, South Korea is a foodies paradise. There are so many restaurants and markets throughout Seoul it can seem a bit overwhelming. So how to you choose the best market in Seoul or once there, what do you eat? Many of the street markets in Seoul are huge, stretching over several blocks with hundreds of food options to choose from. The best way to explore Seoul’s markets is to simply walk around and buy whatever looks good. Thankfully, most vendors sell bite sized food, so you have an opportunity to try several different food items from a variety of vendors. In total, I’ve spent about two weeks in Seoul…
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Gamcheon Culture Village, Exploring Busan’s Colorful Village
Located in the South Korean city of Busan 🇰🇷, is a rather unique place to visit known as Gamcheon Culture Village. This village is terraced alongside a mountain. Gamcheon Culture Village is known as the “Santorini of Korea” or Busan’s “Machu Picchu“. What started off as a refuge area for people escaping war and a former slum is now considered to be one of Busan’s most popular tourist attractions. With it’s colorfully vibrant homes, fun cafés, narrow alley ways, and unique art work, Gamcheon Culture Village is a must when visiting Busan. **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or banners throughout the page,…
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My Pohang Travel Guide – Places to Eat and See
Pohang, is an industrial city located on South Korea’s eastern coast. Pohang is home to POSCO, a huge steel industrial factory that dominates the city and is most likely the reason Pohang has grown into the size it is today, it employees a lot of people! There is more to Pohang then its gigantic steel factory. Pohang has one of South Korea’s largest seafood markets, the fun yet terrifying Space Walk at Hwanho Park, the famous Homigot Sunrise Square and nice beaches. The nightlife in Pohang is hopping and the food is incredible. I created this Pohang travel guide to share what I learned while exploring Pohang along with some…
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5 Small Towns in Japan’s Chugoku Region Worth Visiting
The Chugoku region is the western most region on Japan’s Honshu island. Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi, make up the 5 prefectures of the Chugoku region. A few major cities like Hiroshima and Okayama call this region home. A major draw to this part of Japan is the vast wooded areas, mountains, and cozy small towns. I loved exploring everything this region of Japan has to offer, especially the off the beaten villages tucked away in the mountains or along the coastline. This post is about my favorite small towns in the Chugoku region of Japan. 🇯🇵 **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the…
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10 Best Day Trips from Hiroshima
Hiroshima is one of Japan’s most well known cities, for obvious reasons. Hiroshima does have a dark past but this city rose from the ashes to become a beautiful, lively, and well respected city. Hiroshima City is an easy city to explore with most of the attractions being within walking distance from the Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Castle. Hiroshima deserves minimum one day of exploring if not two. After successfully visiting what Hiroshima has to offer there are so many day trips from Hiroshima that are worthwhile. Just a couple of hours or less, you can see towns and attractions like the Floating Torri Gate at Miyajima or take a…
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Sakura Season in Japan
Sakura season 🌸 in Japan is one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit, but it is also one of the most touristy times as well. Sakura season or cherry blossom season begins in the southern Ryukyu island of Okinawa around mid January to early February. The season begins to unfold on mainland Japan around the end of March to early April. The further north you go the later the cherry blossoms bloom, so Hokkaido’s cherry blossom season starts around the end of April and lasts until early May. During Sakura season, visitors can expect to see cherry blossoms in full bloom dotting the landscape with beautiful shades…
