Japan 
Japan: Endless views of Mt. Fuji(8)
Fuji-san (as the Japanese reverently refer to their iconic highest mountain) is like a little child – it demands attention: I am here, I want you to look at me, pay attention to me, to my moods, to my cloud hat, to the sun’s rays as they caress my cake-frosting top, to the wind as [...]
Japan: Totorri sand dunes
When you think of Japan, sand dunes and beaches are not the first thing that come to mind. And yet, they do exist! Tottori, a small city on the West Coast, can boast to being the home to Japan’s largest sand dunes, stretching an impressive 10 km along the coast, at times up to 2 [...]
Japan: Sapporo to Nagano on the Twilight Express sleeper
Riding overnight trains must also be a special experience for Japanese. As I sit in the very comfortable and spacious salon car, with its linden-green upholstered sofas and oversize panoramic windows, the merchandise cart comes along. The attendant hands out a menue-like card showing all the items available, branded especially for the Twilight Express. A [...]
Japan: How to get to the Snow Monkeys
The journey to see the monkeys is half the fun, but involves some planning. Think of it as a day excursion and be sure to allow time. A snowy day is ideal because the chances of seeing many monkeys in the water are good – afer all, they want to get warm! On a nice [...]