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The Best Cultural Guide (and more) on Japan?

by john | Post #66 | September 26, 2026 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, my mother--in-law gave me the book "Ippo Ippo" which means "step by step" in Japanese. Had never heard of it, but once I read the first pages, I couldn't put it down. Part of the impetus for the name is that after the Great East Japan...

Niigata Is Nice!

by john | Post #65 | September 24, 2026 | Cities | 0 Comments

Have you seen our latest video on Niigata? Check it out by clicking here. Niigata is on the northwestern side of Japan and sits on a large flat plain along the coast. After departing our family home on Lake Nojiri, we travelled to the Niigata area where we stopped...

Nagoya Flooding

by john | Post #64 | September 9, 2026 | Cities, Nagoya | 0 Comments

Those who follow us know that we love Nagoya, perhaps the most underrated large city in Japan. But in the last 48 hours this amazing city has suffered a deluge in which up to four inches of rain fell in one hour! That is mind boggling. Given that Nagoya is a highly...

A Beautiful Garden in Yokohama

Post #6 | May 22, 2024 | Uncategorized, Yokohama

For an off the beaten path experience in a stunning garden setting, we recommend visiting the Sankeien Garden Park in Yokohama. Japan is blessed with many outstanding gardens, and the most popular such as Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa can get overrun with tourists. ...

Yaesu Terrace: Peace And Quiet In Tokyo

Post #5 | May 14, 2024 | Tokyo, Uncategorized

Tokyo is the most populated city in the world, and it can be hard to imagine finding a place of quiet and solitude, however, if you look around and follow our lead here at Uncharted Japan, you can enjoy them. One of our favorites is the Yaesu Terrace situated just a...

Welcome to Uncharted Japan!

Post #4 | May 13, 2024 | Uncategorized

Welcome to Uncharted Japan! This is the launch of a new and exciting venture we hope all will find informational and entertaining. We are John and Josephine Haynes and share your love and interest in Japan. Our story is somewhat unique among those with Japan...

Tokyo Underground As You’ve Never Seen It

Post #3 | May 13, 2024 | Tokyo, Uncategorized

For a totally Japan off the beaten path outing, you should visit Tokyo’s “G-Cans”, officially known as The Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel. This is so unique that most locals don’t even know about it, and much less that you can actually tour the...

Meiji Mura, A Step Back In Time

Post #2 | May 13, 2024 | Nagoya, Uncategorized

About 50 minutes outside Nagoya is one incredible outdoor museum. Situated on more than 200 acres of beautifully landscaped rolling hills overlooking a large lake is the Meiji Mura or “village”. This property features more than 70 structures from the Meiji Era which...

The MAGLEV Museum

Post #1 | May 13, 2024 | Nagano

Japan is well known as home to Toyota, Honda, Mazda and other car manufacturers. However, within the country, it seems as though the rail system is what rules the landscape. I don’t believe any country on Earth has a rail system so well developed and operated as...