-
Cycling the Shimanami Kaido
Since moving to Japan in 2019, Cycling the Shimanami Kaido has been high on my to-do list. Prior to moving here, I’ve never heard of the Shimanami Kaido cycle route, but as I started going to bike shops and talking to other cyclist, I started to hear more and more about Cycling the Shimanami Kaido. The Shimanami Kaido is both an expressway for vehicles and route for cyclists that connects the cities of Onomichi on the main island of Honshu and Imabari on the island of Shikoku. The route crosses six smaller islands (Oshima, Hakatajima, Omishima, Ikuchijima, Innoshima, and Mukaishima) within the Seto Inland Sea. The cycle path is completely separate…
-
10 Things I Love About Japan
We’ve lived in Japan going on three years now and there are characteristics here that are simply unique to Japan. Obviously, there are more then 10 things I love about Japan but the list would be incredibly long. I came up with this top ten list based on day to day aspects that truly make living in Japan fun and exciting! Cleanliness Japan is incredibly clean. You rarely see trash on the side of the streets. On mainland, I think I’ve seen graffiti only a handful of times. You can go to a city like Hiroshima or Fukuoka, well over a population of 1 million and the cities are almost…
-
Japanese Snow Monkeys and How to Visit
We’ve all seen it, whether you are flipping through pages of a National Geographic magazine or watching a documentary on Animal Planet – the monkeys somewhere in Asia that like to hang out in hot springs during the cold winter months. I’ve known about these monkey’s since I was a child. Honestly, I thought they were high in the mountains somewhere near China or some other country, I had no clue these were Japanese Macaques (Japanese Snow Monkeys) that lived in, you guessed it…Japan! When I moved to Japan in 2019, I made it a goal to visit Jigokudani Yaen-Koen, otherwise known as Snow Monkey Park. **This post contains affiliate…
-
Nagasaki Lantern Festival
Nagasaki, Japan. To Westerners, one image or thought instantly pops up when discussing the Japanese city of Nagasaki. August 9th, 1945, 3 days after the atomic bomb exploded over the city of Hiroshima, Nagasaki witnessed a similar fate. Fat Man – the name given to the atomic bomb that exploded over Nagasaki, killing around 80,000, ultimately leading to the surrender of Japan 6 days later. Prior to the war, Nagasaki was one of Japans most important and largest trading ports. Because of trade mainly by the Portuguese, Dutch, and Chinese, there are a lot of cultural influences within the city that make Nagasaki a truly unique city worth visiting not…
-
Cycling Around Suo Oshima
Konichiwa or should I say, “Aloha!” Yashiro Island, better known as Suo Oshima, is an island located in eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture. Suo Oshima is a large island located in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. Suo Oshima is connected to mainland by a huge green bridge named Oshima Bridge. Somewhat mountainous with gorgeous beaches, Suo Oshima is also famous throughout Japan for their mandarin oranges or “Mikans,” in Japanese. Why Aloha Island? Aside from the natural beauty and mikans, Oshima is also called the Aloha Island and has a relatively long history with the U.S. state of Hawaii. Suo Oshima is the sister island of Kauai Island in Hawaii, and they…
-
Okunoshima “Rabbit Island,” Japan
In the Seto Inland Sea, there is a small island named Okunoshima that has a dark past but the current residents are darn cute! I am talking about Rabbit Island, in Japan’s Hiroshima Prefecture! **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or banners throughout the page, whether it be TripAdvisor, Booking.com. Agoda.com, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! How did Okunoshima become known as Rabbit Island? So how did this island become known as rabbit island? The obvious answer is that…
-
I Moved to Japan!
I Moved to japan! In 2019, I created a goal for myself to leave the Mid-West. Originally, I was hoping to move to either the East or West Coast, so I applied for positions along the coasts. Just for laughs, I applied for one position in Okinawa, Japan. Out of the places I applied for, I never heard anything back except for the job in Japan. The company got back to me letting me know that the positions in Okinawa were full but they had an opportunity in Iwakuni, Japan. I’ve never heard of Iwakuni, but anything in Japan sounds exciting so I accepted the position and have been here…
-
First Timer’s Travel Guide to Fukuoka, Japan
Fukuoka, Japan’s 6th largest city and the capital of Fukuoka prefecture is a modern city with a fantastic food scene. Fukuoka is the result of two cities, Hakata and Fukuoka being merged together in 1889. The city of Fukuoka has two main districts, Hakata and Tenjin, each unique with an exciting nightlife. Fukuoka was the first city I visited when traveling to Japan in 2017. Fort first timer’s, Fukuoka is a great introduction to Japan. The subway line here is easy to figure out, it’s walkable, tourist friendly, and has amazing attractions. Since the first time I visited Fukuoka, I’ve been back here a half dozen times at least. This…
-
Interesting Food Around the World that We’ve Tried
Exploring a cultures culinary traditions has become one of the motivating factors and reasons we travel. Plain and simple, it is fun to try authentic, new, and down-right weird food. I always say, I am willing to try everything at least once! Living by that rule, the two of us have become adventurous when it comes to local cuisine. What may seem bizarre in our culture can be a daily diet in others. I mean here in the United States we eat beef right? While the cow is sacred in some states in India. Did you know that over 80% of the world’s population eats insects, yet the sound of…
