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Osaka: Top 10 Things To Do
Osaka, Japan’s third largest city, is only 30 miles from the ancient capital of Kyoto. So, it makes sense, to me at least, to base yourself in one city and visit the other. We opted to make Kyoto our base and do a day trip to Osaka. Here is my pick of the Top 10…
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Japan Three Week Itinerary
We spent 3 weeks in Japan, starting in Tokyo, then working our way south west along the coast of Honshu by train, with a detour to Shikoku, before hiring a car for a circuit round the top half of Kyushu. Our itinerary for our trip to Japan was as follows. Itinerary Day 1 Flight to…
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Horinouchi Park Parkrun Guide
Horinouchi Park parkrun takes place in Horinouchi Park, Matsuyama every Saturday at 8 am. The park lies inside the moat around the base of Matsuyama Castle, which looms over the town of Matsuyama from atop Mount Katsuyama. How to get to Horinouchi parkrun Matsuyama is in the north west of Shikoku, Japan’s third largest island,…
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Hikarigaokakoen Parkrun Guide
There are five parkruns in the suburbs of Tokyo. Perhaps the easiest to get to, due to its direct link to Shinjuku, is Hikarigaokakoen parkrun. The event takes place every Saturday at 8 am in Hikarigaoka Park on the outskirts of Tokyo, around 8 miles north of central Tokyo. How to get to Hikarigaokakoen Parkrun…
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Dazaifu in 1 Day
Dazaifu, the former Capital of Kyushu, is known for its shrine, which is said to bring visitors good luck, and is also home to an excellent museum. Situated just 10 miles south east of Fukuoka, it is a very popular day trip destination. How to get to Dazaifu It is possible to get to Dazaifu…
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Beppu in 2 Days
Beppu, which is situated on a bay in the north east corner of the island of Kyushu, is famed for its geothermal activity. Steam belches forth from vents all over town – a particularly wonderful sight on a cold winter’s day. In addition, there are numerous hot springs across the area, which can be bathed…
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Japan Day 20 – Kumamoto
Wednesday 25 January 2023 Today all my preconceptions about Japanese efficiency were shattered when a little bit of snow took down the entire transport infrastructure. Nagasaki Peace Park But first we start the day with a a walk/slide along the icy pavements to Nagasaki Peace Park, which we thought we’d visited yesterday, but apparently we…
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Fukuoka in 1 Day
Fukuoka is the largest city on Kyushu, Japan’s third biggest island and the closest to mainland Asia. It is joined to the main island of Honshu by a tunnel and a bridge. Fukuoka is made up of two former towns: the castle town of Fukuoka and the merchant town of Hakata. The two towns merged…
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Japan Day 17 – Miyajima
Sunday 22 January 2023 It’s the penultimate day of of our very expensive JR passes. There are two things you can do in Hiroshima on a JR pass; take the tourist loop bus and take a ferry to the island of Miyajima. So that’s our day planned. Ferry to Miyajima You can get a ferry…
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Hiroshima in 2 Days
When planning our trip to Japan, Hiroshima was at the top of my bucket list. ‘Dark Tourism’ might not be for everyone, but having studied history at university, I am always fascinated to visit places where things happened which shape the world we live in today. Even if those things were terrible like in Auschwitz…
Jane's Midlife Journey 