When you ask foreign tourists what they want to see in Kansai, it’s mostly Kyoto, Osaka and Nara. Wakayama Prefecture is often ignored although there are many interesting spots you should check out! I’m sure some of you have heard of Mount Koya, but did you know that it’s connected to the “Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage [...]

Naoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture (map) is mainly famous for its art. However there’s something else that might be of interest if you love cats: a very cute cat café. Visited: September 22nd 2012 Naoshima’s Cat Café “Nyaoshima” I was surprised to see a cat café on such a small island. Cat cafés are quite [...]

Have you heard of Naoshima before? In recent years it became quite popular and promoted as “art island“. Is it worth a visit? Read this article and you’ll know! Visited: September 22nd 2012 Hot to get to Naoshima Naoshima is a small island in the Seto Inland Sea between Okayama and Kagawa Prefectures. Officially it [...]

Today I want to introduce a special spot in Japan that is a must-visit for cat lovers! Of course, there’s Cat Island, but have you heard of the only cat station master in Japan? Visited: July 28th 2011   The Super Station Master Tama is a cat! In Japan even cats can become a station [...]

People often ask me: “When’s the best time to travel to Japan?” Actually, this question is hard to answer because each month and season has something great to offer! It depends solely on your personal interests! Instead of suggesting a “best time” or a “best season”, I thought it might be more helpful to list [...]

After spending some time at Sunpu Castle, Momijiyama Garden and Nihondaira my final destination of the day was the Shizuoka Sengen Shrine. Visited: April 5th 2012 Shizuoka Sengen Shrine (静岡浅間神社) is not too far from Sunpu Castle or the JR Shizuoka Station – all located in Shizuoka Prefecture (map). In the photo above you see [...]

I continued my spring trip through Shizuoka Prefecture. After visiting Sunpu Castle in the morning, I went to Nihondaira to see Mt. Fuji and to Kunozan Toshogu Shrine. Visited: April 5th 2012 Nihondaira and Kunozan Toshogu Shrine As probably everybody is doing the two sights, Nihondaira and Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, together, I decided to also [...]

As some of you might have noticed I was away for some time, that’s because I was traveling during Golden Week. While I went to explore Tohoku and Hokkaido and the beautiful cherry blossoms there in 2012, my vacation this time wasn’t as spectacular, but I still want to share it with you. I hope [...]

After visiting Sunpu Castle in Shizuoka City in the morning, I also went to the Momijiyama Garden. It’s actually located within the Sunpu Castle Park, so it only makes sense to visit it as well. Visited: April 5th 2012 Momijiyama Garden: A place of beauty and tradition Momijiyama Garden (紅葉山庭園) is located within Sunpu Park [...]