This wasn’t my first time flying with Philippine Airlines (IATA code: PR) between Manila and one of its several destination cities in Japan. Despite shortcomings in various aspects of the experience, I think it’s safe to say that it probably won’t be the last time.
Category Archives: Japan
Field Report: Saga Castle, Japan (25 March 2015)
Saga Prefecture doesn’t usually rank first in tourist itineraries (except for those chasing traditional Japanese porcelain), but rich cultural and historic rewards await those willing to invest a brief stop in this quiet corner of northern Kyūshū. After seeing one major attraction earlier in the day which represented Japan’s early, formative years, I travelled aContinue reading “Field Report: Saga Castle, Japan (25 March 2015)”
Field Report: Yoshinogari Historical Park, Japan (25 March 2015)
Diego sets off on a journey to discover a very different, very ancient Japan – a land and society far removed from (and far older than) the samurai and shōgun that have long dominated popular conceptions of Japanese history. The destination: a complete, and quite enormous, Iron Age town resurrected from bare earth and ashes,Continue reading “Field Report: Yoshinogari Historical Park, Japan (25 March 2015)”
Field Report: A pleasant stroll in Yoshinogari, Japan (25 March 2015)
Some of my fondest memories of Japan have less to do with major tourist attractions and more to do with the journeys I had to take in order to reach them. When I close my eyes and cast my thoughts back to some random episode during one of my several trips to that country, IContinue reading “Field Report: A pleasant stroll in Yoshinogari, Japan (25 March 2015)”
Field Report: Seaside Momochi, Fukuoka, Japan (24 March 2015)
Fukuoka is a city with loads of surprises, and today it sprung one of its biggest on me: a beach within a stone’s throw of the urban centre.
Field Report: Dazaifu, Japan (24 March 2015) – Part 2 of 2
With a half-day’s worth of sightseeing in Dazaifu now behind us, let’s give ourselves a moment of respite by admiring a small but quite beautiful garden.
Field Report: Dazaifu, Japan (24 March 2015) – Part 1 of 2
Fukuoka may be the nexus of power and prestige in modern-day Kyūshū, but over a millennium ago, that distinction belonged to another city located several miles to the southeast. Although reduced to a quiet suburb of the island’s sprawling present-day capital, one might say that Dazaifu merely traded one cloak for another: transforming from aContinue reading “Field Report: Dazaifu, Japan (24 March 2015) – Part 1 of 2”
Rail Report: Fukuoka to Dazaifu on the Tabito train, Japan (24 March 2015)
Diego boards a colourful Nishitetsu train on a route that links the modern urban sprawl of Fukuoka and the rich historical treasures of Dazaifu.
Field Report: Ōhori-kōen, Fukuoka, Japan (24 March 2015)
Travellers often find themselves tempted to bloat their itineraries as much as (in)humanly possible. With time in short supply, and the tally of things to see as long as one’s fevered imagination allows, the resulting journey’s pace might more closely resemble that of a footrace than the relaxing holiday it was originally intended to be.Continue reading “Field Report: Ōhori-kōen, Fukuoka, Japan (24 March 2015)”
Field Report: Fukuoka Castle and Kōrokan, Fukuoka, Japan (23 March 2015)
Fukuoka might not be as well known for historical attractions as some other Japanese cities (like Kyōto), but it’s got a few treasures of its own – including the remnants of an Edo-period castle.
Within striking distance 