Japan

The Yamanashi Gem Museum: A Hidden Treasure Near Mt. Fuji

Susan Spann Blog, Travel & Tourism May 5, 2023April 30, 2023Gemstone Museum, Gemstones, Japan, Natural History, travel, Yamanashi

I found an unexpected “jewel” on the shore of Lake Yamanako: the Yamanashi Gem Museum…

What Does it Mean to Live Your Best Life?

Susan Spann Blog May 1, 2023April 29, 2023courage, following dreams, Japan, living your best life

I spent much of my life wishing I was somewhere, or someone, else. I felt trapped and suffocated, and unable to break free. Breaking free from that cage took courage–but it also took the willingness to accept that I’d built myself a life that felt like a cage, and the awareness to look around and figure out what tools I had that might set me free.

Visiting the Famous Snow Monsters of Mt. Zao

Susan Spann Blog, Travel & Tourism March 22, 2023March 22, 2023Japan, Juhyo, Mt. Zao, snow monsters, snow monsters of Mt. Zao, winter, Zao onsen

Last month, I rode the shinkansen three and a half hours north from Tokyo to Yamagata Prefecture, where I hopped a bus to Zao Onsen, a hot spring resort that’s home to one of the Nihon Hyakumeizan (100 Famous Mountains of Japan) and a winter wonderland famous for volcanic hot spring baths, excellent skiing, and a unique natural phenomenon called “snow monsters.”

Riding the Akechidaira Ropeway to a Bird’s Eye View of Nikko’s Kegon Falls

Susan Spann Blog, Travel & Tourism July 17, 2022July 16, 2022Japan, Kegon Falls, Nikko, ropeway, Tochigi

I love Japanese ropeways (the Japanese term for gondola lifts), and last month I checked another one off my “to-ride” list: the Akechidaira Ropeway in Nikko (Tochigi Prefecture), north of Tokyo. The ropeway sits in the mountains, not far from Lake Chuzenji in Upper Nikko, and is accessible either by car or by bus from JR Nikkō or Tobu Nikkō Station. Since my ride was actually the start of a day hike through the mountains, I hopped the bus from Tobu Nikkō station for the 30-minute ride. The only thing at the bus stop is the ropeway itself, a parking

“On Badger Mountain”: Hiking Nikko’s Mt. Mujina

Susan Spann 1000 Summits, Blog, Hikes June 13, 2022June 12, 2022Japan, Mujina, Nikko, Nikko Hikes, Tochigi

Two weeks ago, I headed up to Nikkō, in Tochigi Prefecture, for what I suspect may be my last mountain hike before autumn. While it’s possible that the weather might cooperate long enough for me to sneak in another ascent before September, I’m not a fan of climbing in the extreme heat and humidity of Japanese summers (read: I hate it), and since the rainy season is already under way, this hike was probably the swan song for spring 2022.