On our recent trip to Japan, we took along with us some goodies from back home. Near to where we live is a special bakery, Go-Go's Cinnamon Rolls owned by Wendy Lewis. Our son absolutely loves her cinnamon rolls so much that he's having them served at his upcoming...
Many years ago, there were numerous villages along the route from Kyoto to what was then called Edo, today being Tokyo. They were called “Post Towns”, and were generally used as stopping points for travelers to rest and resupply. They were also checkpoints whereby...
The Uncharted Japan website is little more than a month old and the first video (on Takayama) on the Youtube Channel was posted two weeks ago, therefore though we have a great deal of experience in getting around Japan, the platform of Youtube is something quite...
Most foreign visitors stick to the well known tourist sites and seldom leave the worn paths leading to them. If you do that, you'll certainly have an enjoyable time in Japan, however, you'll also be missing out on so much more. You don't have to venture far into the...
Just about every sizable city in Japan has an observation platform or deck positioned on top of a skyscraper or tower. Its something the Japanese love: looking down on the world below from up on high. Each one is unique, but most are very similar and beyond the...
Kyoto is consistently ranked by travel magazines and bloggers as one of the "must see" cities of the world, and for good reason. It has an incredibly high concentration of temples and shrines that seem to be around every corner including many of the most well known...
There are few towns in Japan where one can see the real image of what life in Japan was like 150 to 200 years ago. Most towns have been rebuilt and redeveloped with only smatterings of authentic architecture remaining. So finding an entire town that hasn’t changed...
Most folks don't realize it, but Japan actually has sand dunes. On the west coast of the Sea of Japan near the town of Tottori, you'll find the Tottori Sand Dunes covering more than 360 acres with the tallest rising nearly 150', and they are literally right at the...
While in Japan, there are numerous experiences one can enjoy as a way to gain a deeper appreciation for the unique things you’ll see and do in Japan. Japanese wagashi is a luxury item that is typically part of ceremonial tea services. Wagashi is a soft sugary dough...
Many folks don’t realize that Tokyo grew up on the water of Tokyo Bay. Long before it became the world’s largest metropolis, it was a port city, and remains so today. However, its lost its look and character as such because so many manmade islands have been created...