Sakegawa Village: The Totoro Tree Is Just the Beginning — Yamagata
There’s a cedar in Sakegawa Village that stands about twenty metres tall with a trunk over six metres around, forked […]
Seasonal Japan
Kitanada Station: Where Shimonada’s Silence Still Lives — Ehime
The train pulls away, and for a few seconds the platform at Kitanada Station is loud with its own absence
Akiu Otaki Falls: The Road That Keeps Going After the Waterfall — Sendai, Miyagi
The turn onto Route 131 is easy to miss if you’re following the navigation app, which wants you back on
Makkari Village: Where Mount Yotei’s Water Becomes Tofu, Lilies, and a Quiet Night’s Stay — Hokkaido
Just after six on a July morning, the free spring on the road into Makkari already has customers. A retiree
Niyodo Blue: The Color Even Locals Can’t Predict — Kochi, Shikoku
Japan’s #1-ranked river for water quality turns an almost artificial blue at the right hour — and even locals can’t fully explain why. Here’s where in Kochi to find it, and when.
Mount Yotei: The Mountain With Five Different Faces — Hokkaido
Drive the farm roads around Kutchan or Makkari for long enough and you stop checking the map. You just watch
Lake Towada: The Caldera That Keeps People Away — and Draws Them Back
The bus from Aomori takes nearly two hours. From Hachinohe it’s longer. There’s no train station at the lake —