Within striking distance

Flight Report: MNL-KIX on Jetstar Asia Flight 3K763

I’ve only recently started flying with the Jetstar group, but in the past couple of years they’ve become my airline of choice when travelling to/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 with schedules that suit my preferences (morning arrivals in Japan and afternoon/evening departures for the return). Today, we’ll see what it’s like to travel with Jetstar Asia (IATA code: 3K) on their Manila-Ōsaka route.

Continue reading “Flight Report: MNL-KIX on Jetstar Asia Flight 3K763”

Field Report: Iwakuni, Japan (16 November 2016)

Many old Japanese towns are famous for their castles, but the city of Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture is best known for something else: namely, its unique and splendidly beautiful wooden bridge. (The fact that it’s got a castle of its own is an added bonus, of course.)

Continue reading “Field Report: Iwakuni, Japan (16 November 2016)”

Pascha nostrum immolátus est Christus, allelúia

Itaque epulémur in ázymis sinceritátis et veritátis, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia.

Friend and reader: I wish you, your family, and all your loved ones a very happy Easter.

Field Report: Hagi, Japan (15 November 2016)

Japan’s Chūgoku region is an incredibly rewarding destination, and I’ve resolved to explore it more thoroughly in the years to come. But for this particular trip, I was happy to allow myself only a brief taste of the area’s many attractions – laying the groundwork, as it were, for a longer and more comprehensive future journey. After spending a few hours sampling the sights in a quiet city on the northern coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture, I came away convinced that here was another part of Chūgoku I’d need to come back to someday.

Continue reading “Field Report: Hagi, Japan (15 November 2016)”

Field Report: Autumn Colours at Daigo-ji and Sanbō-in, Kyōto, Japan (14 November 2016)

Having known from my previous autumn trips that late November is a better time for fall colours in large parts of central Honshū (except for higher elevations), I wasn’t expecting to see all that much at this early stage of my journey. Nonetheless, the kōyō wave had already begun to transform pockets of foliage in some parts of Kyōto, and on the fourth day of my 12th Japan adventure, I trekked out to a place in the southeastern part of the ancient capital where the trees had already begun to put on their glorious seasonal finery.

Continue reading “Field Report: Autumn Colours at Daigo-ji and Sanbō-in, Kyōto, Japan (14 November 2016)”

Field Report: Fukuchiyama Castle, Kyōto Prefecture, Japan (13 November 2016)

My love of Japanese castles takes me to the city of Fukuchiyama northwest of Kyōto, where an ancient fortress demolished during the Meiji Restoration now again stands proudly over the lands it once controlled.

Continue reading “Field Report: Fukuchiyama Castle, Kyōto Prefecture, Japan (13 November 2016)”

Field Report: Kyōto Railway Museum, Japan (12 November 2016)

When it comes to Japan, my main areas of interest are castles and trains – and no visit is ever complete without me adding to my knowledge of one or the other (usually both). In this post, we turn the spotlight upon the country’s newest major railway museum: a veritable playground for train-obsessed chaps like myself, and a welcome addition to the already massive list of sightseeing spots in Kyōto.

Continue reading “Field Report: Kyōto Railway Museum, Japan (12 November 2016)”

Field Report: Autumn Colours at Tōfuku-ji, Kyōto, Japan (12 November 2016)

Mid to late November is usually a good time to enjoy autumn colours in parts of the Kansai region, though the trees in some places tend to put on their gorgeous fall leaves a little earlier than others. On the second day of my 12th trip to Japan, I sought out an ancient temple in the hills of southeastern Kyōto that’s famed for its particularly vibrant seasonal foliage, which in the right conditions can start developing a few days ahead of other spots in the city.

Continue reading “Field Report: Autumn Colours at Tōfuku-ji, Kyōto, Japan (12 November 2016)”

Field Report: Zōjō-ji, Tōkyō, Japan (11 November 2016)

As a rigidly conservative Catholic, I’m not drawn to Japanese temples for spiritual reasons, but I occasionally poke around them out of an interest in architecture and history. In the case of Tōkyō’s Zōjō-ji, there wasn’t much left to admire in terms of original architecture – most of the compound having burned down during the Second World War – but there was a very significant piece of history on show: namely, the graves of several Tokugawa shōguns and their consorts.

Continue reading “Field Report: Zōjō-ji, Tōkyō, Japan (11 November 2016)”

Rail-Air Report: The Keisei Skyliner and Narita Airport’s LCC Terminal, Tōkyō, Japan (02 October 2016)

I write about flights and interesting rail journeys from time to time, but I don’t normally give airports or ordinary train commutes the same treatment. As a postscript to the series documenting my October 2016 weekend holiday in Tōkyō, let’s make an exception and take a quick look at the terminal I flew home from – as well as the train that brought me there.

Continue reading “Rail-Air Report: The Keisei Skyliner and Narita Airport’s LCC Terminal, Tōkyō, Japan (02 October 2016)”