Author Archives: Diego

Field Report: Azuchi Castle Ruins and Museums, Shiga, Japan – Part One (03 May 2017)

In a quiet corner of Shiga Prefecture, on the slopes of a thickly forested hill overlooking Lake Biwa, I came across the scattered remnants of what was, for a few glorious years, the mightiest fortress in all of Japan. A castle to end all castles, unequalled in size or grandeur by anything that had comeContinue reading “Field Report: Azuchi Castle Ruins and Museums, Shiga, Japan – Part One (03 May 2017)”

Flight Report:  KIX-MNL on Jetstar Asia Flight 3K764 (2nd edition)

In my previous post, I’ve set out my thoughts about what it’s like to fly with Jetstar Asia from Manila to Ōsaka-Kansai. Now let’s take a look at their performance on the return leg, flying back home from Japan.

Flight Report:  MNL-KIX on Jetstar Asia Flight 3K763 (2nd edition)

I’ve written before of how Jetstar’s become my airline of choice when flying between Manila and various cities in Japan. (Well, when they’re available anyway. The flights aren’t daily and the routes are seasonally operated, so other carriers come into play when I travel outside those periods.) Reasonable prices are a major factor, good schedulesContinue reading “Flight Report:  MNL-KIX on Jetstar Asia Flight 3K763 (2nd edition)”

Field Report: Takeda Castle, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (02 May 2017)

In this post, I’ll take you to the ruins of a hilltop castle in Hyōgo Prefecture: a place where stone walls, sheer drops, and fantastic views come together to create one of the most splendid castle vistas I’ve seen anywhere in Japan. Some people have dubbed it “Japan’s Machu Picchu” – an exaggeration, to beContinue reading “Field Report: Takeda Castle, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (02 May 2017)”

Field Report: Three Days in Busan, South Korea – Day 3 Part 2 (06 June 2017)

With just hours remaining before I was due to fly home from Busan, I ventured out for one last round of sightseeing right in the city centre. My final target: a modest house of brick and tile, the refined simplicty of which almost seems to mask the important role it played in Korea’s modern history.

Field Report: Three Days in Busan, South Korea – Day 3 Part 1 (06 June 2017)

Before I came to Busan, I’d been quietly nursing a preconceived image of this bustling port city: namely, that of a boring industrial area with little to offer in the way of history or culture. On the last day of an incredibly rewarding 3-day visit, a clutch of sightseeing spots north of the city centreContinue reading “Field Report: Three Days in Busan, South Korea – Day 3 Part 1 (06 June 2017)”

Flight Report:  MNL-NRT-MNL on Jetstar Japan Flight GK40 and GK41

In the past couple of years, the Jetstar group has collectively become my airline of choice when travelling to and from Japan. Attractive fares have played a key part in that rise, but a more important factor is the increase in the number of Japanese cities they now serve directly out of Manila, along withContinue reading “Flight Report:  MNL-NRT-MNL on Jetstar Japan Flight GK40 and GK41”

Field Report: Three Days in Busan, South Korea – Day 2 (05 June 2017)

Busan is a coastal city, so it should come as no surprise that several of its most popular attractions have something to do with the sea. There are its famous beaches, of course … which I avoided like the plague, since I hate beaches. No matter – there were other views to admire and sightsContinue reading “Field Report: Three Days in Busan, South Korea – Day 2 (05 June 2017)”

Field Report: Three Days in Busan, South Korea – Day 1 (04 June 2017)

Even though I travel to Korea at least once every year, I still wasn’t sure what to expect on my very first trip to Busan (부산), a place far beyond those parts of the country I’m most familiar with (namely Seoul and Gyeonggi-do). Yet after spending just three days in this incredible port city onContinue reading “Field Report: Three Days in Busan, South Korea – Day 1 (04 June 2017)”