Sakurajima, active volcano off Kagoshima, Southern Japan, March 2013 The 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… Continue reading Japan’s Islands off Islands
Category: Japan
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
NRT, Between Flights
Friday morning. Explored park and temples in Narita (town) between a flight from Sapporo and an 11-hour flight to MSP.
30 Reasons I Like Japan
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
30 Reasons I Like Japan
Posted 30 Reasons I Like Japan.
1893 Hokkaido Settlers
1893 pioneers’ farmhouse. Hokkaido settled by Japanese, 1860’s on. C, D: Ask Mom about farmer settlers in our family.
Hokkaido Museum Day: Trains and Beer
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
Hokkaido Museum Day: Trains and Beer
Posted Hokkaido Museum Day: Trains and Beer.