While the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom I returned to Tokyo and the Kansai area where I met some familiar faces. Also I visited the southern island of Okinawa for the first time.
How is it like to do research in Asia? Together with my coworker we have a dialogue about our research experience in Japan and South Korea.
Read about my second Japan Trip in Summer 2014. I traveled three weeks all around Japan – from Sapporo all the way to Kagoshima and back to Tokyo with many stops in between.
A simple guide to build a heated blanket table with parts you can find here for comfy vibes like in Japan.
In 2017 I spent half a year in Northern California as an exchange student. Many things were different at first but I enjoyed my time very much. How was it? And what did I do in my spare time?
While I already returned to Switzerland safely, I have a bit of a backlog about my last days in Tokyo. Read this article as a two day guide (three days with the last one) to Tokyo for those with little time.
In the morning I left Niigata prefecture after a fun, but too short evening. We visited an Izakaya in the village he lives in, which was another forty minutes away from Niigata city. The next morning I headed to Tokyo once more. The Max Toki Shinkansen is the only two-story super express train in Japan.
Let me tell you another reason I did not visit many cultural sites in Kyoto. Kanazawa has many too and they are way more enjoyable to visit. I was surprised to see that Kanazawa is such a nice place to stay at, I certainly need to come again.
When you ever plan to visit Kyoto, better do not ask me for advice. Probably the city to visit for its manifold cultural background Kyoto is a must see on any trip to Japan. Still, this time I passed on many famous sights and did spend less than 24 hours before heading on. But I have my reasons.
The route coming from Beppu might not have been the shortest, but I still arrived just two hours later at the southernmost major city of Kyushu after taking the Shinkansen from the very north. I can hardly stop praising the excellent train service.
Moving to the northeastern part of Kyushu I arrived in Beppu, famous for its Onsen, using the Sonic limited express. With one transfer north of Fukuoka I needed two hours for the trip.
No city, company or touristic site is genuinely Japanese unless it has a mascot. For Kumamoto that is Kumamon.
The train ride with the Kamome (Seagull) limited express was quiet enjoyable. The cars had a parquet floor and leather seats, in addition the overhead shelves looked like the ones in airports. The weather changed for the bad and while travelling along the coast line, all I saw was a rainy coastline.
Fukuoka is not much a city for tourists but for shopping and living. While there are few cultural sites, the modern and vibrant city has much to offer besides.
Originally I planned to go to Kyoto on Sunday and visit Tottori on Monday. In the end I changed my plans for both days, so I could meet up with old friends.