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Shirakawa-go and Surrounding Villages
Shirakawa-go and surrounding villages are one of Japan’s UNESCO sites. These sites span across the borders of Toyama and Gifu Prefectures in Central Japan 🇯🇵. These villages are unique as the Gassho-style houses are well preserved and have been untouched for hundreds of years. Gassho-style refers to the roof and that they resemble praying hands. The three villages that make up UNESCO’s Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama include Ogimachi in the region of Shirakawa-go Ainokura, and Suganuma in the region of Gokayama. The houses most noticeable features are the thatched roofs. These houses were built so uniquely to withstand heavy amounts of snowfall during the winter months in the…
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Top Things to do In Hikone, Shiga Prefecture
Hikone is a fairly small sized city located on Lake Biwa’s eastern edge in Shiga Prefecture. Hikone is most famous for Hikone Castle, one of the original castles of Japan dating back to 1622. Besides visiting Hikone Castle, some other top things to do in Hikone include a visit to Genkyuen Garden and exploring the Yume Kyobashi Castle Road. Also while in Hikone, make sure to take a photo with their official mascot, Hikonyan! Things to do in Hikone – How we Spent our Time here To further my mission of visiting all the original castles in Japan, Hikone was high on my list of places to visit due to…
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Our Takayama Travel Guide, Hida Beef and Historic Districts
Located near the Japanese Alps in Gifu Prefecture is the city of Takayama. Takayama is known for its preserved historical districts consisting of Edo-style streets. Takayama is also famous for its food, most notably the “Hida-gyu” or Hida beef. Outside of walking the historical Edo-style streets and eating Hida Beef, visitors can pay a visit to the Takayama Yatai Kaikan, browse the morning markets, or walk the Temple Trail. We spent two solid days exploring the city of Takayama. Outlined in this post is our Takayama Travel Guide. Takayama on a Map and Getting Here Takayama is in the Japanese Prefecture of Gifu in central Japan. Takayama is considered the…
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Side Trip to Katsuyama: Japan’s Tallest Buddha, Pagoda, and Castle
Katsuyama, a lesser known mountain town in central Japan is located in Fukui Prefecture, not far from the city of Fukui and Maruoka Castle. Katsuyama is home to Japan’s largest sitting Buddha statue, tallest pagoda, as well as the tallest castle in Japan. With all these stunning statues and beautiful yet massive architectural buildings, why is Katsuyama unknown to most tourists? Simple, the whole western portion of Japan is not the easiest for visitors to travel to. It’s far from Tokyo and Kyoto, train rides are not direct, and the media simply doesn’t mention these types of places. We recently went on a week long road trip through central Japan…
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Visit Matsumoto Castle, A National Treasure
Matsumoto Castle, originally known as Fukashi Castle is one of Japan’s greatest castles and is listed as a National Treasure. The distinct black and white colors of the castle along with the red bridge, large moat, and stunning backdrop of the Japanese Alps, makes Matsumoto one of the most beautiful castles in Japan. A visit to Matsumoto Castle is a must when visiting Japan! History of Matsumoto Castle Matsumoto Castle’s history dates back to the Eisho era between 1504 and 1520. During this era, a small border post was at this location, named Fukashi Castle. After years of Civil War, in 1550, Fukashi Castle was taken over by the Takeda…
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What’s the Deal with Japan’s Tanuki Statues?
If you’ve traveled anywhere around mainland Japan, you have probably noticed these statues that resemble a raccoon with huge balls. Besides the very noticeable balls, the tanuki statue appears to have a round belly with a straw hat on and sometimes they will have a sake bottle, and promissory note, among other items. So what’s the deal with Japan’s Tanuki Statues? 🦡 **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…
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Japan’s Vending Machines
Any other destination, a vending machine is just that, a vending machine. If you travel to a place like North America, a vending machine is just a large bulky box that sells a few name brand items. You’ll see the same drinks and snacks in every other vending machine no matter where you are. But Japan’s Vending Machines are a thing of the future. Want a hot coffee? Or how about an ice cold tea? Not in the mood for a beverage, then perhaps a bowl of ramen or full pizza would cure that craving? That’s right, many vending machines in Japan carry other unique items. Many times, I walk…
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Beer Guide to Japan
I moved to Japan from the United States. The United States was never really known for their beers until recently. Still, many people not from there associate the US with bad and cheap beer like Budweiser. Over time beer started to evolve and microbreweries popped up everywhere. Now, in the US, you can find great beer in almost any town. I don’t consider myself a beer snob, but I do like a good beer! Prior to living in Japan, I visited the city of Fukuoka and sampled several beers within a few days and wasn’t to impressed with the beer in Japan. I’ve lived in Japan going on three years…
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Tunnel Rats, Exploring Okinawa’s WWII Caves
This is post 11 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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Japan’s Budget Airlines
We all want to save money while traveling 💴, especially when it comes to booking flights. Without getting into flight miles and other savvy ways to save on travel, looking into budget airlines is always a great place to start! Usually, you have to sacrifice something when it comes to budget airlines, whether it be less leg room or no inflight services. Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about sacrificing safety. After all, budget airlines have to go through the same rigorous safety inspections as any other plane. I’ve traveled around Japan going on four years now and flown airlines like ANA and Japan Airlines, I have also flown some…
