I found an unexpected “jewel” on the shore of Lake Yamanako: the Yamanashi Gem Museum…
Read moreThe Yamanashi Gem Museum: A Hidden Treasure Near Mt. Fuji
travel
Osaka’s Famous Dotonbori Lights Up the Night
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.
Read moreDiscover the Secret Icicles of Narusawa Ice Cave in Yamanashi’s Suicide Forest
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.
Read moreKosatsuba – Japan’s Medieval Billboards
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.
Read moreOn Crying-Bug Mountain (Nakimushiyama) [No. 144-146]
![On Crying-Bug Mountain (Nakimushiyama) [No. 144-146]](https://www.susanspann.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Nakimushiyama-Summit-720x300.jpeg "On Crying-Bug Mountain (Nakimushiyama) [No. 144-146]")
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.
Read moreSeikanji – a Hidden Mountain Temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama Ward
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.
Read moreThe Healing Power of 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.
Read moreKegon Falls
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
Read moreThree Days in Nikko
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.
Read moreHeaven, Hell, and Off the Beaten Path in Japan
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!)
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