Why Uncharted Japan
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Why Uncharted Japan

I’m John Haynes and my wife, Josephine is the fourth generation in her family to have been born in Japan with her great, great-grandparents having arrived in September 1861 from New York only a few years after Japan opened to the west. Her ancestors served as missionaries there when Ronin (former Samurai) still roamed the countryside. It was very much unlike today’s Japan. Therefore her family has a very long history retaining many contacts and the family still keeps the family home there north of Nagano. No one of whom I’m aware in the Japan travel community online or on Youtube has such a background. We both love Japan and enjoy sharing our experience with others. Read on to learn more.

From The Blog
Hakodate: A Great Port City on Hokkaido
Hokkaido is the northern large island of Japan and most people know of its capital city, Sapporo. But another city you should consider visiting is Hakodate. Hakodate is a port town on the southernmost side of Hokkaido situated on a peninsula jutting out into the...
Lake Nojiri
During our recent visit to Japan, we spent a few days in the Japan Alps on and around Lake Nojiri. Yes, Japan has its own "Alps" and they are referred to as that, the Japan Alps. We don't ski, but know from others that Japan has some of the best skiing in the world,...
OSAKA EXPO 2025
We just returned from a month in Japan and during our time there, we visited the Osaka Expo 2025 for two of the days. Must say it was an amazing experience. Despite some significant missteps in the first few opening days, by the time we arrived two weeks later,...