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 Kumamoto's gorgeous locales – by car, train, boat, or on foot!

Kumamoto: From Aso to Amakusa

Jordy Meow

Kumamoto City

My favourite film from the Ghibli studios is Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し). A number of ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) inspired this anime fantasy, particularly Kanaguya, near the famous Jigokudani monkeys in the town of Yamanouchi (Nagano prefecture), within the maze of streets and hot springs known as Shibu Onsen.

Yamanouchi: Chihiro, Monkeys and Onsen

Yamanouchi Village

Goshikinuma is a hidden corner at the foot of the mountain in Fukushima prefecture, with five differently colored volcanic lakes. In the background, the infamous Mount Bandai, all around, a beautiful chameleon-cute forest that changes its coat according to the season. Scene set!

Goshikinuma: The Five Coloured Lakes

Goshikinuma

The Western Village (ウエスタン村) is a relatively quite famous abandoned theme park in Japan. I had the chance to visit it many times, but I would like to share with you the photos taken during my very last visit.

The Abandoned Western Village

Western Village

Nara is very pretty with plenty of hidden corners to visit that I’ll try to help you discover. One of my autumn favourites is Hannya-ji Temple.

Hannya-ji: The Cosmos Temple

Hannya-ji Temple

Wandering along a Kawasaki avenue, ready for anything, I come across a mournful-looking building that’s impossible to ignore. Behind there is bedlam: dogs baying at the moon, metallic sounds, the hum of machinery and, illogically, voices calmly murmuring in Chinese.

Kawasaki Warehouse: Kowloon Walled City

Kawasaki Warehouse

Here is the abandoned tree, the haikyo tree as I like to call it, clinging onto a little wall. Oihara having been a living village until the late 1950s, the maple was there in its midst. It must have been the village chief, emblem, god, the spirit of the forest and probably also a playground.

The Giant Maple Tree of Oihara

So it’s winter here and apart from watching monkeys warming themselves at a certain onsen taken over by hordes of tourists, you don’t know what else to do. But it’s a chance to go out and find a more relaxed, calmer Japan, and quietly take in its beauty.

Senmaida Rice Paddies in Shiroyone

Senmaida Rice Paddies

These two rocks connected by a thick rope and the little torii on top is one of these mysterious images that inevitably draw visitors to Japan. But if you actually go to see them won’t that strip them of their mystique forever? Let’s try with Meoto Iwa (夫婦岩)!

Meoto Iwa: The Wedded Rocks

Did you enjoy the Studio Ghibli animation Castle in the Sky? Then you’ll fall under the spell of this part of Kyushu: the Laputa Road (ラピュタの道)! The site has obviously changed greatly since the Kumamoto earthquake, and that’s also why I decided to talk about it. You’ll find a link for donations at the foot of the page.

Laputa Road

Mount Yoshino (吉野山) is the most famous sakura site in Japan. With more than 30,000 cherry trees covering the whole mountain, the very idea seems fantastic. But is this really the best site? To get off to a good start, here’s my favourite scene of the day.

Yoshinoyama: The Cherry Blossom Mountain

Yoshinoyama

When the moon slowly rises… And the lights begin to reverberate with the rhythm of a poem… And the foxes sing to themselves over five octaves… There, there! That’s where you’ll really appreciate the intoxicating atmosphere of Fushimi Inari shrine.


Fushimi Inari Shrine at Night

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Nara Dreamland was an abandoned amusement park at Nara. I’ve mentioned it several times on this site : here for my first visit and here for a stroll around the roller coasters. I’ve just spent a year in Nara (2015-2016), a kilometre from the park, and it was after I went back to Tokyo recently that the destruction began. So it’s time for me to write a little epilogue, evoking a few memories and photos.

Nara Dreamland: The Abandoned Amusement Park

Nara Dreamland

In Japan there are mysterious places often shown in photos but where nobody really seems to go. Aoike – literally the Blue Pond (青い池) – is one of these. 

Aoike: The Blue Pond

According to a Japanese philosopher, Amanohashidate is one of the three most famous views of Japan (along with Matsushima and Miyajima). This is the Heavenly (amano) Bridge (hashi). I stopped off there mainly because it was on the way to another destination that I’ll cover later.

Amanohashidate

Amanohashidate Sandbar

Takeda Castle is always popular, and even more so in autumn. Why? Just because that’s the best time to have a chance to admire it surrounded by clouds! Hence its many nicknames such as Castle in the Sky or the Machu Picchu of Japan. To be sure not to miss anything, I reach the site at sunrise.

Takeda: The Castle in the Sky

Takeda Castle

I realized that this little gem was not only an architectural wonder but also a very cool haikyo location. The access was impossible (no tourists are allowed) but eventually, by chance, I became friend with one of the owners and I could visit it many times.

Nakagin Capsule Tower

Near the small town of Takeo there rises Mifuneyama, a proud mountain apparently covered with heads of broccoli. But a magical gardener has passed by and poured the juice of soft fruits over them, to announce the arrival of spring. Welcome to Mifuneyama Rakuen (御船山楽園), a park that literally transports you to paradise.

Mifuneyama Rakuen

To the west of the island of Hokkaido, after a beautiful tour of Shakotan Peninsula (subject of a future article), you’ll perhaps be thinking it’s time to head back to Otaru city. Think again, there’s a spot where I recommend losing yourself on the way.

Ebisu Iwa & Daikoku Iwa

I am not always fair with Ibaraki Prefecture. I always say that there is not much to it besides the occasional haikyo, but it actually does have its charms. One such place is Hitachi Seaside Park.

Hitachi Seaside Park in Autumn

Hitachi Seaside Park

Mount Osore is a caldera volcano in the center of remote Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, Japan. According to the Smithsonian National Museum of National History, it peaks at 879 meters and its last eruption was noted in 1787.

Osore-san: Highway to Hell

So you’ve spent an exhausting day in Tokyo? Mortified at being the typical tourist? Just follow me and we’ll take a bath together, along with my friend Stéphanie. She’s become the ambassador for sento – public bathhouses – so we’ll let her choose a good one for us.

Tokyo Sento with Stéphanie: Takara-yu

Takara-yu

The snow falls every year in Tokyo. Once. This year again, it’s been snowing. But twice, violently, and the snow was going with a a strong and freezing north wind. Oh yes, I know some of you are going to love this.

Snow Storm in Roppongi

Roppongi

The Nobeyama Radio Observatory is a division of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and consists of three radio instruments located near Minamimaki, Nagano at an elevation of 1350m.

Nobeyama Radio Observatory

Shizuoka accounts for 45% of Japan’s overall tea production, and the prefecture is at the leading-edge of research on the benefits that can be obtained from green tea. Green tea plantations date back to 1241.

Green Tea Fieds at Mount-Fuji

Mount Fuji

I feel like I’m running after the sunset’s shadow… Autumn seemed to be endless until now, but it cannot resist anymore to the winter. Air is fresh, dry, even brittle; slowly but inexorably, the snow has started sprinkling the top of the mountains.

End of Autumn around Hakuba

Hakuba City

This is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan. Yugama, the crater lake at the summit is impressive for its emerald green water. With a pH of approximately 1.0, it is known as the most acidic lake in Japan.

Mount Shirane

The first hours promptly gets us in the Okinawa atmosphere : we’re still in Japan, the care for service is the same, the language –up to a few words, like in any Japanese prefecture- is similar, everything is clean… only, the Japanese people seems different!

Okinawa: From Naha to Nago

Naha City

Shirakawa-gō is located in the village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture. It is well known for its houses constructed in the architectural style known as gasshō-zukuri.

The Winter in Shirakawa-go

Shirakawa-go

The Tottori Sand Dunes are sand dunes located near the city of Tottori in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. They form the only large dune system in Japan.

Tottori Dune with the Snow

Tottori Dune

The Daiō Wasabi Farm is a wasabi farm established in 1915 and located in Azumino, Nagano Prefecture near the center of Honshū, the main island of Japan.

Daiō Wasabi Farm

About 7,000 Fuyuzakura cherry trees decorate the park in autumn and are also lit up in nighttime. They are rare variety that flower buds which didn't bloom in autumn will bloom in spring after passing the winter and are designated as National Scenic Spot and also National Natural Treasure.

Sakurayama : The Fuyuzakura Mountain

Sakura-yama

Three years ago, I had brought my parents to an onsen tour in Nagano and Gunma. On the way, it was planned to pass by Mount Shirane, where there is a lake with an incredible colour… sadly, it was “mission impossible”, the road was completely blocked because of the snow! But today, revenge time has come.

Yumi Ike Pond

Yumi-ike Pond

In Nikko, when going beyond Lake Chūzenji and beautiful Ryūzu Waterfall, there is another splendid place to discover : the Senjōgahara Marshland (戦場ヶ原).

Senjōgahara Marshland

After visiting the urban side of Okinawa with Naha and Nago, here we are now in the ferry, on the way to Kerama Islands, more precisely Zamami and Aka Islands.

Zamami & Aka Islands: The Love in Between

Zamami and Aka Islands

It’s early morning in Okinawa and the sky is already ocean blue. Without any hesitation, we jump right away in the first boat direction the paradise: the Taketomi Island! It’s only 10 minutes travel from Ishigaki Island.

Taketomi: The Bougainvilleas Island

Tourists to the Okinawan island of Taketomi are transported around by carts pulled by water buffalo

Water Buffalo of Taketomi

Jake Ojisan

Taketomi Island

Miyajima Island, one of the most scenic spots in Japan, has long been regarded as an Island of Gods on the beautiful Seto Inland Sea. It is a romantic and historical island where Itsukushima Shrine, a World Heritage site, is located, along with the Virgin Forest of Mt. Misen, and numerous preserved shrines, temples and historical monuments.

The Torii of Miyajima

Miyajima

The Azalea Festival at the Nezu Shrine. 3,000 azalea plants – roughly 100 varieties in total, including rare breeds such as the black karafune flower.

The Azaleas of Nezu Shrine

Nezu Shrine

In these times of intense heat, you cannot refuse a stroll to a Japanese garden. And even if the greenery of Tokyo is far from having enough strength to refresh us it is, at least, very relaxing to the eyes. Let’s go to the Gardens of Koishikawa Korakuen!

Gardens of Koishikawa Korakuen

My utmost passion for onsen is sometimes showing throughout my articles but isn’t it too blurred? So, from now on, I’ll make sure to cover more onsen and ryokan! Today, in this article, I bring you in the most popular onsen in the Akita prefecture : the Nyuto onsen. We’ll then go for a nap in the Tsurunoyu ryokan.

Nyuto Onsen: Tsurunoyu

One of the most beautiful beach around Tokyo is near Shimoda, Izu Peninsula.

One Day in Izu Peninsula

Shimoda City

Do you like kōyō, sweet waterfalls and breathtaking landscapes? Then Nikkō is not only the perfect place but it is also not very far from Tokyo, only two hours by train. 

Nikko in Autumn: Waterfalls and Mountains

Lake Chuzenji

In the middle of Gunma Prefecture, there is an infernal train station : this one takes you straight to the center of the earth! Almost. It is the deepest train station in activity in Japan: here is the Doai Station! The platform looks like the one from a ghost station. There is almost nobody, I only met two families who came down here for the purpose of sightseeing. There is no activity whatsoever, it’s cold, the only bit of life comes from the neon lights. 

Source: http://jordymeow.com/doai-station-deepest/

Doai Station: The Deepest Station in Japan

Doai Station

Maya Hotel (摩耶観光ホテル) built in 1929, is one of the oldest haikyo hotels. The interiors are splendid: ever-changing rays of blue-orange-yellow and green tones sweeping the shadows as time goes by.

Maya Hotel

All the weather forecasts on TV or online are adapted to provide real-time information on the autumn leaf colour status across the country, using photo and live cameras. This is the perfect opportunity for me to go to Yamanashi Prefecture where I spotted two beautiful valleys: Shosenkyo Valley and Nishizawa Valley.

Nishizawa Valley & Shosenkyo

Nishizawa Valley and Shosenkyo

The word Koke (苔) means moss in Japanese. And Chatsubomi-goke, is the name of one type of moss. It is also called Marigoke (毬蘚), meaning ball-shaped moss. This Chatsubomi-goke lives in strong acid water, which is the nature of Onsen around Gunma, Kusatsu area.

Chatsubomigoke Moss Park

The Kurobe Dam is Japan’s largest arch dam, completed in 1963. With a height of 186m, it remains the tallest dam in Japan. It discharges 10m3 of water per second, and is a tourist attraction between late June and mid-October. As the observation deck provides a grand view of gushing water creating a great cloud of spray, more than 1 million tourists visit the dam every year.

Kurobe: The Highest Dam in Japan

The Usui Pass No.3 Bridge – generally known as Meganebashi (めがね橋) – is dazzling beautiful. With the nice photo below I do not think I need to explain too much in words. It is currently the biggest brick bridge in Japan, and not surprisingly they are trying to get it listed in the world heritage list.

The Usui Pass and the Meganebashi

The Usui Pass

In Yokohama, near Tokyo, is one of the most famous ruins of Japan: the Negishi Grandstand. This is a favorite spot among Japanese urban explorers but despite its outside, I have never dared to explore it.

Negishi Grandstand in Yokohama

Negishi Grandstand

Aokigahara (青木ヶ原), also known as the Suicide Forest or Sea of Trees (Jukai), is a forest that lies at the northwest base of Mount Fuji in Japan. The forest contains a number of rocky, icy caverns, a few of which are popular tourist destinations. Due to the wind-blocking density of the trees and an absence of nearly all wildlife, the forest is known for being exceptionally quiet.

Aokigahara: The Suicide Forest of Mount Fuji

Aokigahara: The Suicide Forest

Magome-juku was the forty-third of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō, an ancient road that connected Kyoto and Edo during the Edo period.

Kiso Valley: Tsumago Village

Tsumago Village

Gunkanjima is an abandoned island located in Nagasaki Prefecture. The island got famous because of his unbelievable appearance: surrounded by a sea wall, you will find an entire abandoned city with huge concrete buildings. The original name of the island is actually Hashima, but it is also called the Battleship Island (translation of Gunkanjima) or the Ghost Island. It appeared recently in the James Bond movie Skyfall and got even more famous. The story of my exploration is on http://offbeatjapan.org/gunkanjima

Gunkanjima: Hashima Island

The New Sky Building (Warship Building) designed by Yoji Watanabe is one of the jewels from the Metabolist movement.

New Sky Building (Gunkan)

New Sky Building

Goryokaku is a star-shaped fort in Hokkaid. It was created as protection of the Hakodate Magistrate's Office. The last battle of the Boshin War took place there.

Goryokaku Fort

Zooming Japan

Matsumae Castle is located in Hokkaido. It's considered to be the last traditional style castle in that prefecture. Matsumae Yoshihiro built it in 1606. 

Matsumae Castle

The Shiraoi Ainu Museum near Sapporo is great if you want to know more about Ainu culture and history.
It is considered to be one of Japan's best museums about Ainu.

Shiraoi Ainu Museum

Otaru City makes a great day trip from Sapporo. Especially popular is the Otaru Canal and the Snow Light Path Festival in February.

Otaru City

Probably the most popular cherry blossom viewing spot in Tohoku can be found in Aomori Prefecture. It's the Hirosaki Castle Park where you can observe moats filled with cherry blossom petals in late April / early May.

Hirosaki Castle Park

Japan has many so-called cat islands. Tashirojima is probably the most famous one. You'll find more cats than human residents there.
There are also cat-shaped lodgings.

Tashirojima (Cat Island)

Tashiro-jima : Cat Island

Yamadera (alternative name: Hojusan Risshakuji) is a temple complex in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture. It is one of the leading sacred places in Tohoku.

Yamadera

Yama-dera Temple

Kaminoyama City has a lot to offer, e.g. a beautiful castle, onsen and it's also the shooting location for the movie "Okuribito - Departures".

Kaminoyama

Kaminoyama City

Located in Hiraizumi, you'll find Chusonji Temple, the head temple of the Tendai sect in Tohoku. There are several national treasures such as Konjikido, the Golden Hall.

Chusonji Temple

Chuson-ji Temple

The “Pure Land Garden” of Motsuji Temple is very beautiful and absolutely worth a visit when in Hiraizumi. It was designated a Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty.

Motsuji Temple

Motsu-ji Temple

Osaka is definitely one of my favorite city in Japan. Discover in this article the 10 spots I really enjoyed plus some transportation and accommodation tips.

Osaka Japan - My 10 Favorite Places To Visit

Asian Wanderlust

Osaka City

You are going to visit Tokyo soon? Don't miss these things to do in Akihabara, the paradise for Otaku and Japanese Anime lovers.

Things to do in Akihabara - The Otaku Favorite Spot in Tokyo Japan

Akihabara Station

You always dreamt to play Mario Kart in real life? Well, it's possible in Tokyo guys! I explain you how to arrange this crazy experience in this article. Enjoy it!

Play Mario Kart in Real Life in Tokyo Japan - The Complete Guide

Mario Kart

I had the chance the spend some nights at the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo which is definitely one of the best in town. Discover this luxury hotel with me in this article.

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo - A Luxury and Traditional Hotel in the Heart of Tokyo

Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo

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 unlikely name of ﻿Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel.

G-Cans : Japan's Underground Temple

Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel

January 1st, 4.30am. After a two-hour drive from Tokyo, we finally arrive at Oarai. Hundreds of people here, car parks full and combini (convenience) stores besieged. But we’re happy to be here. Conditions seem to promise a crazy hatsuhinode (first sunrise of the year)! I’m seething with impatience.

Oarai Shrine: The Ocean Gateway

Oarai Shrine

Oshima is the largest island in the Izu peninsula, as well as the most visited. It has an active volcano surrounded by black desert … the only desert in Japan! Let’s pay a visit with Airi-chan.

Oshima and its Black Desert

Oshima Island

Where are these pretty women? In the forest of Bijin Bayashi! And they’re everywhere! Above, below, and all around you. Will you succumb to their graceful forms, losing yourself in their radiant tresses?

Bijin Bayashi: The Forest of Pretty Women

Bijin Bayashi Forest

My obsession with torii is satiated: 123 of them stand here, snaking gracefully along the reef. We’re captivated by the beauty of the site! The sea is beautiful, the torii blazing red, the sky fabulous. My father performs the biglemoi (energy dance …).

Motonosumi Shrine

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 consists of koga (rhyolitic lava), a type of volcanic rock.