Your camera-shy, train-loving blogger, at the helm of an N700 Series Shinkansen train simulator in Japan. And yes, I value my privacy – hence the pixellated cloud where my head should be.

Diego Coruña, at your service. (That’s just a pen name, by the way.)

Backstory time. In 2009, I set off on a journey across central Japan: the very first holiday that I planned on my own, booked independently, and paid for out of my own pocket (i.e., not funded by my parents as previous travels had been). From then on, Japan has consistently remained my favourite destination – I’ve visited all 4 main islands, all 8 regions, all 47 prefectures – and travel has remained my best-loved hobby.

Where have you been?

Here and there, but not exactly around the world. Nor do I even have the urge to see the whole world, truth be told. I’ve settled into a comfortable habit of regularly visiting just two countries in particular (more on that below), so my been-there-done-that list doesn’t so much grow longer as it gets top-heavy.

A long time ago, I resolved to visit at least one new country each year. I’ve since thrown out that resolution and these days, I travel to whatever country I feel like visiting, whether I’ve already been there or not. On any given year, that means – at a minimum – travelling to both Japan and Korea: two countries I’ve fallen head over heels in love with and try to visit at least once or twice (each) annually.

I wasn’t much of a travel blogger before 2013, but you’ll see bits and pieces of previous trips on my anime blog (more specifically under the Travelogues tab). The very first journey I wrote about from start to finish was my 2013 trip to Japan, which you can find right here.

What’s your travel style?

Solo. I’m a natural loner. I function best when I travel unaccompanied.

Selective. With limited time and resources, I focus narrowly on places that best suit my interests.

Repetitive. If I fall in love with a destination, I’d happily go back again and again. Japan was the first country to tug at my heartstrings strongly enough to warrant an annual return visit, and Korea has now earned that same distinction.

Moderate (in terms of expenditure). Better than bare-bones, less than luxurious. No hostels on the one hand, no Ritz-Carltons on the other.

Non-adventurous. I’m an introverted, nightlife-avoiding, non-beachgoing chap who enjoys order, cleanliness, and strict-to-the-second train timetables. Is it any wonder I visit Japan so often?

(Mostly) selfie-free. I collect memories by looking out at the world around me – not by looking back at myself.

Why does your blog have two names?

You may be wondering why the blog header is WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE, when the address is ITTEKURU.COM.

Short answer: “Within Striking Distance” is the blog name and “ittekuru.com” is the URL that gets you here.

Long answer: I started writing this travel blog under the title “Within Striking Distance”. That was also the basis for its original WordPress address (withinstrikingdistance.wordpress.com), which you’ll continue to see sprinkled around here as links or as a label on some older pictures.

Nearly seven years after my first post, I finally decided to sign up for a custom domain. Not a name change; just a change in URL. After mulling over options, I settled on “ittekuru” (行って来る; lit., “go and come back”), which is a very casual way of saying “I’m off!” or “I’m stepping out for a bit!” in Japanese. Short, sweet, and dovetails neatly with the travel theme of this blog. Never mind that my holidays tend to last a bit longer than the day I’d spend at work or the hour I’d spend at the shops, which is the sort of thing this expression tends to be used for!