In no time we reached day 5 of our New Year’s vacation. We spent the whole day in Morioka and returned with fulfilled wishes and filled bellies to Tokyo in the evening.
Feeling Morioka (Tohoku in Winter 5/5)
Descending into the Dragon Cave (Tohoku in Winter 4/5)
On the fourth day, we visited Ryusendo Cave in Iwaizumi, one of Japan’s largest limestone caves. In the evening, we enjoyed memorable sashimi dinner in Morioka.
Onwards to the Pacific Shore in Hachinohe (Tohoku in Winter 3/5)
In just a few hours, we traded snow-covered mountains for the icy Pacific coast. Hachinohe, known for its fishery, welcomed us with serene moments at Kabushima Shrine and a taste of fresh seafood.
A Unique Onsen in Yamagata’s Mountains (Tohoku in Winter 2/5)
As a highlight of this trip we reserved a room in a secluded mountain ryokan high up in Yamagata’s mountains. The inn’s 4×4 minibus picked us up at the last stop of the public bus line. The unpaved mountain road at the end was so steep, most cars would have had trouble to climb it.
Aizu-Wakamatsu (Tohoku in Winter 1/5)
Our five day trip to Tohoku began with the sunrise over Tokyo’s skyline. Aizu-Wakamatsu checked all our boxes as a travel destination: called the Samurai city, the city was home to Samurai for a long time; until the Boshin war in 1848. We also looked forward to visiting Higashiyama Onsen, seeing the local crafts including lacquerware and of course the local cuisine and sake.
Winter vacation in Tohoku
Happy 2024! Having transitioned into the New Year with Japanese customs, we began our 2024 with a vacation in the Tohoku region. Five prefectures in five days.
Season’s greetings
Season’s greetings! Today I want to introduce some of the Japanese Christmas celebrations and new year’s traditions.
An Earthquake on New Year’s Day
On the afternoon of January 1st 2024 a strong earthquake occurred on the Japan Sea side of Japan. The strongest magnitude was recorded to be 7 in the Japanese scale with shaking being felt in the whole country.
Fall Colors in Kyoto
In late November I had the chance to revisit Kyoto, a place I connect with many memories. Here is a list of scenic places I think have not been found by the typical Kyoto tourist yet.
Apartment hunting (Part 2)
We have great news! We could secure the apartment we hoped for and moved in last week. This means this series is already concluded after two posts. That was unexpected. To be honest, I was surprised that we were able