Author of the Hiro Hattori (Shinobi) mysteries
I love just about everything about traveling in Japan, and sampling various regional foods ranks high on my list of things to do whenever I arrive in a new location. (To be honest, I seek them out whether or not I’ve been to the place before.)
Read moreWhile urban stations like Tokyo Eki (“Station” in Japanese) often contain numerous platforms and many kinds of trains (including the high-speed shinkansen, or “bullet trains”), stations get significantly smaller as travelers move into the countryside.
Read moreBizan is one of Japan’s smaller mountains; the summit rises only 280 meters (920 feet) above sea level. The mountain’s name means “eyebrow,” because Mt. Bizan apparently looks like an eyebrow at a distance from any direction.
Read moreDuring Japan’s medieval era (and afterward, in many cases) samurai families (or their servants, in some cases) obtained their drinking water from wells, rivers, or mountain springs.
Read moreThe journey from Tokyo to Tokushima City is just under 650 kilometers (depending on route) and can take as little as a couple of hours, if you fly, but I preferred a more scenic trip so I traveled by train.
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