Category: Japan

Ikebukuro Station

This picture evokes vivid memories. April 2013, I’m underground in Tokyo, in Ikebukuro Station, the second busiest train station in the world with over 2.7 million passengers a day. I never walk up on the surface of Tokyo. I’ve just arrived from Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku, the nether regions of Japan, to catch a train back out of…… Continue reading Ikebukuro Station

Japan’s Islands off Islands

Sakurajima, active volcano off Kagoshima, Southern Japan, March 2013The winter is setting in, and won’t budge for another four or five months: it’s time to think about travel to warmer places like Southern Japan.One theme of my next visit to Japan is “Islands off Islands.”Japan is an archipelago consisting of thousands of islands. Four are…… Continue reading Japan’s Islands off Islands

Decoding a Crane

What are we thinking? I’m in Japan. A lone crane swoops low over a large, exquisitely landscaped pond. There are two other bystanders; they smile contentedly as the crane reinforces a common bond, evoking fragments of mysticism, national treasure, longevity, good fortune, origami, the number 1,000, childhood memories, and current dreams. I’m seeing a crane…… Continue reading Decoding a Crane

Travel Gear: Portable Router

In Japan I like to go off the beaten path where guide books are not helpful. Daily research using the Internet becomes essential for me to navigate that often-opaque country. I use a portable wireless router because most Japanese hotel rooms have (free) wired Internet, but no wireless Internet. I’ve set up my router with…… Continue reading Travel Gear: Portable Router

Travel Gear: OpenStreetMap

Minnesota in the summer is just too lovely, so I won’t be traveling far this month. That doesn’t stop me thinking about the mechanics of travel. When I was in Japan earlier this year, handheld electronics hugely contributed to my ability to navigate the geography and the culture. Or, to be more precise, the software…… Continue reading Travel Gear: OpenStreetMap