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1. Figuring out how to navigate the day was like solving a puzzle. That was most satisfying. 2. Being able to hop on and off trains anywhere, having paid once for my Japan Rail pass. 3. Knowing when to get off the train simply by looking at my watch. 4. The sheer predictability services will… Continue reading 30 Reasons I Like Japan

The trails around Otaru are still buried under snow drifts, so time for plan B: Museum Day. Otaru (Train) Museum Otaru had the first railroad on Hokkaido. One of the many snow plows on display I wanted to take this home with me Sapporo Beer Museum The old Sapporo brewery (now a museum) There’s something… Continue reading Hokkaido Museum Day: Trains and Beer

Trailhead: Seibu-Chichibu Train Station April 4, 2013 I stayed at a hotel two blocks from the station and walked directly to trails. Cherry blossoms, rice paddies There were several shrines Trailhead: Mitake Train Station April 5, 2013 I put my backpack in a locker, and set foot from the station. Great views, had it not… Continue reading Tokyo Hiking Trails

Today (Tuesday) was a day to pause the journey. Besides it rained hard all day, which would have made hiking less pleasant. Time to be a consumer of sights. I knew Matsuyama was a really cool place when I saw this heading along the streetcar line: I headed over to Matsuyama’s #1 sight (or is… Continue reading Bigu Feetu Around Matsuyama

Just after you enter the grounds of a Japanese temple, there’s always a fountain for rinsing hands and mouth. Here’s examples from the temples I visited when I followed the route of part of the Shikoku Henro (“Shikoku 88”). Temple 37: Iwamotoji March 29, 2013.   Temple 38: Kongofukuji March 30, 2013. Temple 39: Enkoji… Continue reading Temple Plumbing 2013

The Shikoku Henro (“Shikoku 88”) is an 88-temple pilgrimage around the island of Shikoku, Japan. The complete journey is about 750 miles. It is particularly appealing to me the pilgrimage goes in a circle: when you reach temple 88 you are just a few miles from temple 1, but your mind is in a different… Continue reading Shikoku 88: Some Observations

I grew up in an industrial town in the North of England. I love that town, and its attitude. I continue to visit it regularly. Consequently I decided to spend a while in Kokura, a town in the north of Kyushu that has been described as “half industrial park.” I dislike that description. I arrived… Continue reading A Hike under the Sea, a Buzzcutter, and a Visit to TOTO

I always pace around departure areas, so today was no exception at the Busan ferry terminal. A couple years ago, had I not been pacing around the Haridwar (India) station platform at 3:00 a.m. waiting for a train that never came, I might not have been spotted in the crowd by four backpackers. I would’ve… Continue reading Are you Trevor?