31 May, 2014 – Minamiawaji-shi, Awajishima A group of 20 individuals, mostly made up of Hyogo JET ALTs, is rumored to have taken part in a camping and entertainment experience on the southern shores of Awaji Island over the period of Saturday, May 31st to Sunday, June 1st. According to witness reports, fun and…
 The Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海), surrounded by Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, is a veritable treasure trove of adventure. You can take the longest suspension bridge in the world, Akashi-KaikyÅ, to Awaji Island to feast on onions. From Awaji, or Shikoku’s Tokushima prefecture, there are the turbulent Naruto whirlpools where Japan’s fastest currents make one…
Do greet and be greeted by every single hiker you pass. Don’t wear regular sneakers to climb the highest mountain in March (you will have sad wet and cold feet). Do use the free huts to sleep in. Don’t expect running water or electricity at the huts. Do take the ferry to Yakushima…
You may visit Tokushima prefecture for the impressive Naruto whirlpools in the strait between Awaji and Shikoku, but whilst there you can also enjoy an unexpected cultural extravaganza thanks to the Otsuka Museum of Art (ÅŒtsuka Kokusai Bijutsukan). On a bright day in February my friend and I were taken to this museum…
Thanks to everyone who came and made the two sake tasting days a success. For those who didn’t come, here’s a rundown of what went on January 25th and 26th. Feel free to use this itinerary to go on your own! Follow us virtually on this map! We met at Mikage station at 11:30 am,…
Seeing in the New Year from a mountain top ‘Leisurely’. Yes, I distinctly remembered that particular adjective being mentioned. ‘Easy’, yes, I think ‘easy’ was there too. It was just a shade away from ‘strolling’. Half-way up a boulder-strewn mountain slope in the pitch-dark, elbows and feet grimly jammed into crevices in the slippery rock,…
Last February I ventured north to Hokkaido for the famed Yuki Matsuri. Admittedly the sculptures were very impressive, the snow slides worth their two hour queues and the atmosphere buzzing. But even though I am a snow-junkie, the festival is not something I feel the need to visit again. The local food, however, demands a…
During winter vacation, I traded Hyogo’s rice paddies and fallen leaves for the pineapple fields and mangrove forests of Okinawa! Hoping to take advantage of off-season prices and fewer crowds, a fellow ALT and I embarked on a journey of island hopping, ocean kayaking, coral reef snorkeling, and a long list of other exciting activities….
Last year I traveled to Hokkaido to see a zoo, the Asahiyama Zoo, and maybe take in a couple festivals. I mean who wouldn’t want to see an adorable penguin parade, right? But, it was one of the festivals that really made my frigid trip awesome. The 冬ã¾ã¤ã‚Š, or Winter Festival, occurs in the town…