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
Japan’s Most Picturesque Onsen Town?
Kinoaski is one of the most popular onsen or hot springs towns in Japan. Situated very close to the west coast of the Sea of Japan, its off the beaten path, yet well worth the small effort to get there. The signature feature of the town is that there are seven...
Walking the Nakasendo Trail in Magome
The Nakasendo Trail is an historic route that dates back to the early 1700's and was an important road connecting Kyoto to Tokyo, then known as "Edo". Along the way there were more than 69 small villages called "post towns" where travelers would rest, obtain new...
Shirakawa-go World Heritage Site
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...