Miyoshi in the northern parts of Hiroshima Prefecture came to my attention back in 2020 when I compiled a list of every station in Japan with a platform zero. The only one in Hiroshima was at Miyoshi but when doing some preparation for our New Year trip I discovered that it was sadly no more.
Platform zero was used on the Sankō Line running for 108.1 kilometres between Miyoshi and Gōtsu in Shimane Prefecture. However, when that Continue reading
The main reason many people go to Echigo-Yuzawa in Niigata is because it is an easy Shinkansen (bullet-train) ride from Tokyo for people wanting to go skiing or snowboarding in the surrounding mountains. Outside of the winter season is a different matter though and far less tourists descend on the area. However, in the last few years one particular sight has emerged as a reason for visiting the area in any season.
Once I had consumed a load of sake from the vending machines in Niigata station, I took a bus to Kiyotsu Gorge which was about a 25 minute journey. That wasn’t quite the end of it as there was still the small matter of a Continue reading
Back in 2019 when Japanese residents could enter ballots for tickets to see the Tokyo 2020 Olympics I applied for over a dozen different sports but ultimately (and rather inevitably) failed on most fronts. It mattered not too much as due to the pandemic spectators were unable to attend pretty much everything apart from a select few events in Miyagi and Shizuoka Prefectures.
That disappointment got me thinking that I shouldn’t just need the Olympics to see some different sports in a country where there’s far more live sport than just baseball and football. Sure, it’s not the Continue reading
Anyone who has ever read any of the Unstaffed Stations posts will know that I love a station that is located next to water, particularly the ocean. There’s something anime-like about such a thing and so when I was in Niigata Prefecture on a short trip in September 2022 I went to check out a couple of these places.
Ten minutes after my time was up at one of Japan’s most dystopian stations I was disembarking at Continue reading
When I heard there was a giant milk carton building in Hiroshima it was music to my ears as I am always looking for new and interesting places to visit in a part of Japan where the two main sights (the A-Bomb Dome and Miyajima) tend to dominate the majority of posts and videos about the area.
What I didn’t take into consideration at first though was how far and wide Hiroshima Prefecture is. The likes of Onomichi and Okunoshima (a.k.a. Rabbit Island) are nearly two hours east of the city centre but they are still served by regular trains. However, venture Continue reading
Whilst season two of alphabet dating is taking place I thought I could fill that void with a restrospecive series which is certainly an easier operation as they were not done in alphabetical order which can be a little stressful and frustrating at times.
Season 0 will throw back to places and things we’ve done in Greater Tokyo since 2011. I generally hate the term Continue reading
In contrast to my travel style today, this three week trip to Central America was pretty much all unplanned in advance with only the start and end points known. Equipped with my trusted Lonely Planet book, I headed for Guatemala back in December 2012 not knowing where the adventure may take me…
1. Guatemala
With cobblestoned roads and multi-coloured colonial buildings, the beautiful city of Antigua very much played up to my stereotypical view of this region’s culture perfectly. I spent many hours wandering around the Unesco World Heritage area which was full of Continue reading
Think of Christmas Day and the likes of roast turkey, crackers, mince pies, presents and family time may come to mind. Of course it all depends on where you’re from and what religion you are but for the first 24 years of my life growing up in the UK that was pretty much it for me.
Festive football meant a few presents relating to the sport (shirts, scarves, annuals, chocolate footballs etc) and going to a game on Boxing Day (December 26th). Up until 1965 football in England was actually played on the 25th but as that was way before my time I have never experienced watching a live game.
2022 was the first opportunity I can ever remember having to see a live match as December 25th in Japan really is just a normal day. Sure, there is all the build up (songs, decorations etc) but Continue reading
2023 is the year of the rabbit according to the Chinese Zodiac. This is something that pretty much every Japanese person will already be aware of after the Hatsumode (first visit to a shrine or temple at the start of the year) and New Years greeting card (nengajo) customs where the Twelve Animal Signs of the Chinese Zodiac are usually incorporated into the designs as well as the stamps.
The thousands and thousands of shrines in Japan often have the likes of Continue reading
