I love onsen towns, even though I’m not inclined to take the waters myself. With their narrow streets, relaxed atmosphere, old-fashioned architecture and rustic charm, even non-bathers will find them an excellent place to unwind, far removed from the hustle and bustle of Japan’s megacities. Today, we’ll stroll around a splendid little corner of GunmaContinue reading “Field Report: Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma, Japan (16 November 2018)”
Tag Archives: Kantō
Rail-Bus Report: From Tōkyō to Kusatsu Onsen and back with a Japan Rail Pass
There’s more than one way to travel between Tōkyō and the famous hot spring town of Kusatsu Onsen. Moreover, it’s possible to do the entire journey for free with a Japan Rail Pass. In this report, we’ll try two different routes that rail pass holders can use at no extra cost.
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 theContinue reading “Field Report: Zōjō-ji, Tōkyō, Japan (11 November 2016)”
Field Report: A Long Walk Across the Low City in Tōkyō, Japan (02 October 2016) – Part 2/2
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.
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.
Within striking distance 