If you are an onsen aficionado, you definitely need to visit Kyushu. Oita and Kagoshima are ranked #1 and #2 in Japan for having the most number of hot spring sources so you can expect a long list of renowned onsen resorts (Beppu, Yufuin, Kurokawa, Kirishima) to choose […]
So I was back in Japan again in May. Now, May is an awkward period – too late for cherry blossoms, too early for the festivals and fireworks (Jul-Aug). May is like a filler between seasons where things take a hiatus before the real deals start rolling. Still, […]
I remembered we got on and off trains a lot to get to the Chichibu onsen. It wouldn’t be far from the truth to say the journey left a deeper impression than the onsen. Yet, we weren’t done after we stepped off the last train at Minano – […]
Like a virgin Since 2010, together with my running buddies, we have been making yearly trips to Japan and onsens always feature prominently in our itineraries. Takaragawa Onsen was one of the first they visited. I wasn’t with them at that time but they made sure I became […]
Can’t last a day without Men (麺) When in Japan, you can’t not eat ‘men’. There are all kinds of men in Japan. Ramen. Soba. Udon. Instant. Bespoke. Have them hot, in boiled savoury soup, or eat them cold/dry, dipping them in sauce/soup. Or fried – with vegetables/meat/seafood. Recently, […]
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