I like travelling alone. That way, I've only got one idiot to worry about.
In my previous post, we saw what it’s like to fly from Manila to Ōsaka with Jetstar Asia (IATA code: 3K). Now let’s have a look at the experience going in the opposite direction, departing from Ōsaka and heading back to Manila.
Continue reading “Flight Report: KIX-MNL on Jetstar Asia Flight 3K764”
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”
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)”
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.
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)”
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.
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)”
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)”
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)”
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)”
Within striking distance