Jordy Meow
After visiting the lovely Wakanoura district and two magnificent temples in Wakayama (I’ll come back to those another time), I take a wide detour on the way back to Nara. Direction the terraced rice fields of Aragijima...
July 26, 2018
G-Cans : Japan’s Underground Temple
Hidden below the Tokyo streets is a true superhero – a bitumen-washed facility with state-of-the-art technology and an architectural beauty to put a Corbusier or two in the shade. This is G-Cans, also known by the...
April 26, 2020
Niijima: The Island of Lava Cascades
After a pleasant overnight ferry trip from Tokyo, it’s 6am, and the outline of Niijima is already on the horizon. So here’s the famous Easter Island of Tokyo! The distinctive feature of the island is that it...
September 16, 2019
Bijin Bayashi: The Forest of Pretty Women
Where are these pretty women? In the forest of Bijin Bayashi! And they’re everywhere! Above, below, and all around you.
April 27, 2019
Japan’s Suicide Forest: Aokigahara
Aokigahara, known as Japan’s suicide forest, is a unique place in other ways. Silent, no wildlife in sight, magnificent trees and shrubs, and really easy to lose yourself in.
June 6, 2018
Oshima and its Black Desert
Oshima is the largest island in the Izu peninsula. It has an active volcano surrounded by black desert... the only desert in Japan!
May 22, 2018
Oarai Shrine: Ocean Gateway
Oarai Shrine is also known as Kamiiso no Torii, the Gateway of the Sea God. It was established in 856 but rebuilt in 1690.
May 14, 2018
Motonosumi Inari Shrine
Motonosumi Inari Shrine is located in western Japan, far from the rest of the world. The nearest city, 80 kilometres away, is Yamaguchi. Never heard of it?
May 10, 2018
Nomizo Falls: The Heart of Light
6.30am and Nomizo is quick to reveal itself. Little by little, a streak of light is emerging. Pretty impressive.
May 10, 2018
Ritsurin Garden in Takamatsu
Here’s a burst of colour for starters: Ritsurin in Takamatsu, one of the most beautiful gardens in the country.
April 30, 2018
Futtsu Park
Futtsu has something special to offer (who’d have thought it!) – a park on a small narrow peninsula. By stretching things a little (6 kilometres anyway), you can reach the seaport of Yokosuka on the other side and make...
April 30, 2018
Zao Fox Village
At Zao, in Miyagi prefecture, lies the answer to an eternal question: why do we say something is foxy!? With a hundred foxes roaming around, you'll have an extreme immersion experience.
April 30, 2018
Kumamoto: Greenery and Limpid Water
I've been through Kumamoto Prefecture on several occasions. Overwhelmed by all the sights to see, I only wrote about the famous Laputa Road. But it's time to fix that. Join me as I make my way through...
March 2, 2018
Nichitsu Ghost Town
The abandoned tin-mining village, about 50 km from Chichibu in Saitama, can also be reached from Kofu in Yamanashi.
February 5, 2020
The Abandoned Western Village in Japan
Exploration of the abandoned Western Village in Japan with three girls who enjoyed pretending to be part of a western movie.
February 19, 2018
Yamanouchi: Chihiro, Monkeys & Onsen
My favourite film from the Ghibli studios is Spirited Away. A number of ryokan inspired this anime fantasy, particularly Kanaguya, near the famous Jigokudani monkeys in the town of Yamanouchi.
June 6, 2019
Best Abandoned Places in Japan (2015–2016)
Japan has many ruins, abandoned places, and ghost spots. Here are my favorite urbex locations in Japan for the past two years.
June 5, 2019
Senmaida Rice Paddies in Shiroyone
Shiroyone Senmaida (白米の千枚田) has 1000 rice paddies in Shiroyone. Located on the Noto Peninsula, it's beautiful at night, with the lights on.
January 9, 2018
The Giant Maple Tree of Oihara
It’s still early and I leave Tokyo before sunrise. I take the long tunnel and the Aqua-Line bridge to the other side of Tokyo Bay, then follow a small mountain road that loses me somewhere in the heart of Chiba...
January 10, 2018
