I travelled through Tohoku with friends, between autumn forests, mountain baths and quiet towns, before continuing to Sado, Kanazawa, Kyoto and Tokyo.
During six months in Kyoto, I settled into everyday life and explored further afield, from summer festivals to the islands of the Seto Inland Sea and the Japanese Alps.
A simple guide to build a heated blanket table with parts you can find here for comfy vibes like in Japan.
I began the year with five days across Tohoku, travelling by train to a castle town, a secluded mountain onsen, the Pacific coast and Morioka.
From New Year in Tokyo, I headed north to ski in Hokkaido, then explored hot spring towns and snowy villages in Chubu before returning to familiar faces in Tokyo.
Originally I planned to go to Kyoto on Sunday and visit Tottori on Monday. In the end I changed my plans for both days, so I could meet up with old friends.
On Saturday I went to Osaka, mainly because of the Magical Mirai concert I wanted to attend for a long time. Let me say so much in advance: it was great!
Let me tell you another episode of my life on how to turn bad luck into good one. Or how I will always arrive at my destination even when things go wrong.
Two hours from Noboribetsu the train arrived at its terminal station, Hakodate. It is possible to transfer to a different limited express heading to Honshu via an underground tunnel. The left train serves between Sapporo and Hakodate, the green one to Aomori on Honshu.
After the luxury dinner yesterday I retreated to my room in the fourth floor. A yukata and sandals (geta) were prepared for the onsen visit. I made particularly sure to wear it the correct way. After changing I went to the hotel next-door. First, it was a bit strange to walk outside like this, but I was readily joined by other onsen visitors.
My third day of my trip also marks the last in Sapporo. Today I departed to Noboribetsu.
I managed to catch up some sleep and recover from the jet lag, but I still feel pretty tired. When I checked the time I noticed it was only 6 a.m. That way I had lots of time to write about yesterday. For breakfast I had cold milk coffee and Baumkuchen from the local combini.
In less than half an hour I arrived at the central station. In contrast to Nagoya it was cloudy here the whole day and the temperature is below 25 °C making it very pleasant.
Finally, the day I awaited long time has arrived. Time to have a great and enjoyable trip to Japan!
Today I had my last of seven exams, now I have free time for three weeks before the next semester starts. As you already know, I will travel to Japan in this time.
Finally, after travelling around major parts in Japan in less than three weeks I will arrive in Tokyo, the capital.
After touring through Kyushu I will head back to Tokyo for the last few days. I will not take the direct Shinkansen route from Kyoto back to Tokyo via Nagoya, but will make a detour to the Chubu region.
After touring through Hokkaido and Kansai I will move on to Japans third-largest island Kyushu in the south of the main island Honshu. Apart from visiting urban Fukuoka and Nagasaki I will relax in a hot spring resort and explore two volcanos! In six days I will make a round trip across and around the island and will stop by in various places.
The last article, Chapter 1, was about my first four days in Hokkaido. After taking a flight from Sapporo I will arrive in the Kansai region. What are my plans for the next four days?
The flights are booked, the Japan Rail Pass is ordered and some of the accommodations are booked. My trip will begin on Sunday, 24th August and I will return on 14th September, a Sunday again. In these three weeks I will travel, see, meet and eat a lot. Let me go in much more detail now. But first, this is the route I will take. Spontaneous changes included.