Tōkyō’ modern skyline and iconic public architecture are well worth seeing on any trip to Japan, but so are the quiet, low-rise neighbourhoods that make up its old Shitamachi – not least because of the glimpse they allow into the everyday, unvarnished side of life in the Japanese capital.
Category Archives: Japan
Field Report: A Long Walk Across the Low City in Tōkyō, Japan (02 October 2016) – Part 1/2
On my previous trips to Japan, I’ve come to know the Tōkyō of soaring skyscrapers, of popular culture, of old stereotypes and unstoppable evolution. Now I’m setting out to discover a different, grittier side of the city: the Tōkyō of the backstreets and low-rise neighbourhoods, of old houses and quiet alleyways, of hidden shrines andContinue reading “Field Report: A Long Walk Across the Low City in Tōkyō, Japan (02 October 2016) – Part 1/2”
Field Report: Kawagoe, Japan (01 October 2016)
With Japan a mere four hours or so from Manila, and with the intense competition amongst airlines plying this lucrative route driving fares down to almost dirt-cheap levels, an overnight weekend trip to Tōkyō no longer sounds as crazy as it probably should. Believe me, I’d know – I did precisely that on the weekendContinue reading “Field Report: Kawagoe, Japan (01 October 2016)”
Field Snapshots: A snowy day at Nikkō, Japan (12 March 2016)
Since I don’t plan to do any detailed coverage of last spring’s family holiday in Japan, here’s a (mostly) commentary-free gallery of images taken with my mobile phone on a quick day trip to the historic town of Nikkō, in Tochigi Prefecture.
Field Report: Takamatsu Castle, Japan (10 July 2015)
Sometimes, it takes a bit of work to seek out the historic gems scattered across your typical Japanese metropolis, hidden as they are behind decades of unrestrained development and bland concrete modernity. But here in Takamatsu, a short stroll from the central railway station is all a visitor needs to discover one of the city’sContinue reading “Field Report: Takamatsu Castle, Japan (10 July 2015)”
Field Report: Ritsurin-kōen, Takamatsu, Japan (10 July 2015)
Sunny summer Shikoku skies – whew, now that’s a tongue-twister right there – gave me the perfect excuse to go on a day trip from the hustle and bustle of Ōsaka to the relative peace and calm of Takamatsu, capital of Japan’s smallest prefecture. Of course, the fact that the city had a splendid traditionalContinue reading “Field Report: Ritsurin-kōen, Takamatsu, Japan (10 July 2015)”
Rail Report: Trainspotting my way from Ōsaka to Takamatsu, Japan (10 July 2015)
Getting there is half the fun, or so the adage goes – and this very often rings true for a railway enthusiast who undertakes a long-distance journey in the train paradise that is Japan. Today’s trip takes me from Ōsaka to Takamatsu, capital of Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. We’ll have a lookContinue reading “Rail Report: Trainspotting my way from Ōsaka to Takamatsu, Japan (10 July 2015)”
Field Report: Kinosaki Onsen and Kyōto, Japan (09 July 2015)
Who on earth travels a great distance to see an onsen town and doesn’t even bother trying the onsen? (This is where I sheepishly raise my hand and attempt an explanation.)
Rail Report: From Tottori to Ōsaka, Japan on JR-West Limited Express Trains (09 July 2015)
It takes an enormous fleet of trains to serve JR-West‘s sprawling territory, and one stands a good chance of encountering several different examples on even a single day’s worth of travel. Let’s have a look at some of them as we cut across western Japan.
Field Report: A kingdom of sand by the seaside at Tottori, Japan (08 July 2015)
Sand, in and of itself, seems to possess very little significance. But when gathered into massive dunes as tall as hills, or fashioned into huge and incredibly complex works of art, even these humble grains are enough to draw a chap like me all the way to a small city in western Japan – oneContinue reading “Field Report: A kingdom of sand by the seaside at Tottori, Japan (08 July 2015)”
Within striking distance 