travel – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

Osaka’s Famous Dotonbori Lights Up the Night

Susan Spann Blog, Travel & Tourism January 23, 2023January 22, 2023dotonbori, Japanese culture, Japanese food, Osaka, travel

A couple of months ago, I spent the night in Osaka. I had to leave the next morning, but made the most of the time I had with an evening trip to Dotonbori – an entertainment district not far from Osaka Namba Station that’s famous for good food and over-the-top neon lights.

Discover the Secret Icicles of Narusawa Ice Cave in Yamanashi’s Suicide Forest

Susan Spann Blog, Travel & Tourism April 25, 2022April 23, 2022Fuji Five Lakes, Ice cave, icicles, Japan, Sites of Interest, travel, Yamanashi

A few weeks ago, I took a visit to Narusawa Ice Cave, in Aokigahara (Japan’s famed “suicide forest”), to see the massive natural icicles that form there, underground.

Kosatsuba – Japan’s Medieval Billboards

Susan Spann Blog April 19, 2022April 19, 2022Japan, Japanese history, kosatsuba, Nakasendo, shogun, signboards, Tokugawa, travel

social classes, and since so many travelers passed through them, they were also excellent places for the Shogunate to post important news, new laws, and edicts, to ensure as many people as possible would see them.

On Crying-Bug Mountain (Nakimushiyama) [No. 144-146]

Susan Spann 1000 Summits, Blog, Hikes November 8, 2021December 3, 2021autumn, hiking, hiking in Japan, Japan, koyo, mountains, Nikko, Tochigi, travel

On October 24, I headed north to Nikkō, in Tochigi Prefecture, to hike a new-to-me trail that included Nakimushiyama (鳴虫山), an 1,103-meter mountain not far from Nikkō station. The route went up and over three smaller peaks, too, and though much of the trail is surrounded by trees, there were a few spots with beautiful views as well.

Seikanji – a Hidden Mountain Temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward

Susan Spann Blog August 13, 2021August 13, 2021hiking in Japan, Japan, Japanese history, Kyoto, Kyoto temples, samurai, samurai history, Seikanji, travel

While visiting Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera on July 6 (2021), I made a side trip to visit Seikanji–a mountain temple with beautiful views that most visitors don’t even realize is there.

The Healing Power of Travel

Susan Spann Appearances, Blog November 23, 2020November 23, 2020Climb, Frommers, Thanksgiving, travel

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to talk with Pauline Frommer of Frommer’s Travel about the nature of travel, its power to heal, and how a special itinerary from Hokkaido Nature Tours helped me through one of the most challenging periods of my life.

Kegon Falls

Susan Spann Blog August 3, 2020August 3, 2020hiking, Japan, Japanese waterfalls, Kegon Falls, travel, waterfalls

Kegon Falls, in Upper Nikkō (Tochigi Prefecture, Japan) consistently ranks among the most beautiful waterfalls in Japan, if not the world. The 97-meter, bridal-veil style fall was created when ancient lava flows from nearby Mt. Nantai diverted the flow of the Daiya River. While most of the water cascades down the face of the lava flow, some of the water filters through the porous rock and emerges near the base of the primary fall, creating more than a dozen smaller waterfalls near the base of the primary falls. Kegon Falls is open to the public, and accessed via an elevator

Three Days in Nikko

Susan Spann Blog July 4, 2019July 4, 2019Climb, Japan, matcha, mountains, Nikko, travel

I recently spent three days in Nikkō, one of Japan’s most important historical and religious sites. The area is not only a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, but an excellent place for hikers and mountain climbers.

Heaven, Hell, and Off the Beaten Path in Japan

Susan Spann Blog March 17, 2019March 17, 2019Beppu, Japan, Japanese travel, matcha, off the beaten path, travel

I love traveling to new and unexpected places here in Japan, and sharing the experiences I encounter. My trip to Kyushu (Japan’s southernmost major island) last January was both exciting and unexpected, and I’m thrilled to be able to share my experiences in “heaven and hell” at Matcha–which is also, hands-down, the best English-language website for travel ideas and travel advice about Japan. Here’s the link to the first installment of my “Japan, Off the Beaten Path” series: “To Heaven and Hell in Beppu” (with plenty of photos of the adventure, too!)

By Ferry Across the Seto Inland Sea

Susan Spann Blog February 6, 2019February 6, 2019ferries, seto inland sea, travel

After finishing last week’s climbs in Kyushu, I decided to travel home by a slower, and often (wrongfully) underrated means of transportation: an overnight ferry across the Inland Sea. The shinkansen (bullet train) is faster, and the overnight bus much cheaper, but overnight ferries have a surprising amount to offer . . . especially when you splurge on a private room. Like most Japanese ferries, the Meimon Taiyo ferry that sails between Kitakyushu and Osaka (the black line on the map below shows the route) offers several classes of accommodation. Tourist and economy classes basically consist of dormitory-style rooms with futon on the floor for sleeping and shared bathroom and shower

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