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.
One day before the trip began I found myself in the French city Strasbourg. How did I end up here instead of the airport? Keep on reading.
It is time for another trip diary! To celebrate my month off before starting my next employment at university I am heading to five countries in East Asia within two weeks.
Connichi, one of the biggest conventions in the German speaking area is about to take place next weekend from Friday 7th to Sunday the 9th of September. The event drew in over 26’000 fans last year and will take place in the Kongress Palais in Kassel as usual. I attended Connichi for the first time in 2009 and this year will be the fifth time visit the event.
For the second time the Japan and Anime convention AnimagiC took place in the Rosengarten congress center in Mannheim in early August. The organizers celebrated the 20 year anniversary of the event with a great line-up of guests from Japan over three days.
Dokomi, one amongst, if not the biggest Japan and anime convention in Germany opened its doors for over 45000 attendants from May 18 to May 20 at the fairground of Düsseldorf.
Spring is around the corner, meaning the Japanese convention season is about to begin. This year I will visit three major conventions in Germany, one of them is the Dokomi in Düsseldorf. In this post I will introduce the event and this year’s program.
A few weeks ago I attended the Chienbäse parade in Liestal for the first time, and I wonder why I did not come earlier now. This fascinating tradition is carried out every year on the Sunday evening before Fasnacht in Basel.
Again, thank you for following my trip across the Chubu region, Hokkaido and Tokyo. In this post I compiled the whole travel log series and also list some additional resources.
The last day in Tokyo was as busy as always with a visit to a Michelin star restaurant and the return flight the next day. Also, I had the chance to meet two old friends I have not seen in years.
A day with so many things going on, I had to split the log into two. Continuing from the last article, I arrived in Takayama in the afternoon after the bus tour to Ainokura and Shirakawago ended.
In a day-trip from Takayama I visited the UNESCO world heritage sites of Ainokura and Shirakawago, remote villages with a special housing style in the mountains.
From the coast into the mountains — from Kanazawa the journey went on to Toyama and Takayama. The town is well worth a visit, even in winter. And did you know that the beef of the local cattle tastes as good as the one from Hyogo?
The best thing to pass bad weather is taking a hot bath. Following this mentality, I visited Yamanaka Onsen today, a secluded Onsen town in a gorge south of Kanazawa. Also I enjoyed more fresh sea food in Kanazawa.
Located between the mountains and the coast, Kanazawa combines many opposites, which are reflected in its architecture, the cuisine and the culture. When I first visited the city in 2014, I liked it so much that I wanted to return on the next opportunity. While it was raining for during the whole day, I made the most out of it.
From Nagano I visited two well-known destinations in the prefecture. In the morning I went to see the adorable Snow Monkeys bath in a hot spring and in the afternoon I explored Matsumoto Castle, part of the World Heritage.