Suzhou: How Does Your Garden Grow
Suzhou (Sūzhōu) is a quick, half-hour high speed train ride north of Shanghai. Once home to over 100 gardens, now there are about a dozen. It’s still known as Garden City, and is a popular stop on the tourist trail. A number of the classical gardens are UNESCO World Heritage listed, combining man-made features with […]
Nanjing
Provincial capital Nanjing was an enjoyable stop, greener than most, with a definite university feel. Unfortunately most-known for the 1937 massacre and violence (Rape of Nanking) following the Japanese capture of the city, Nanjing was also twice the former capital, once in the Ming Dynasty, and again briefly at the beginning of the 20th Century. […]
Kyoto Yes, Kyoto Noh
An early start helped us beat the crowds to a special spot called Fushimi Inari. The shrines were originally dedicated to the gods of rice and sake, and later expanded to include prosperity in business. Along with a number of pretty shrines and countless statues of foxes (messenger of Inari), the area provides a peaceful […]
New Friends, Ancient Roads
We had the pleasure of our first couchsurfing experience with the Higashi family in Sakurai, about an hour south of Nara. For those not familiar with couchsurfing, it’s a program where people open their homes to travelers who not only benefit from a free place to stay, also get to know local hosts (and vice […]
Takamatsu
Since we were so close, we decided to make a quick trip to the island of Shikoku. Takamatsu was the natural choice because it wasn’t too far over the bridge and was along to main train lines. After doing a little investigation we found out that they have a wonderful bike rental program run by […]
Garden City Okayama: Home of Momotaro, Peach Boy
It seems every Japanese city has a hometown hero, mascot or theme. You see it in decorations, in gifts for purchase, even in the food. The story of Momotaro, the boy who sprang from a peach with his dog and monkey to fight off demons is a well known and well loved tale. His statue […]
Home
The following day, my former homestay sister picked us up to spend a few days with her family. On the way, we took a long, relaxing detour to Sankeien, an expansive park with lots of trees flowers and a small lake, opened to the public in 1906. There are also a few relocated buildings, including […]