Uncharted Japan

Exploring places most visitors never see

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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

New Video By Our Friends in Germany

Just prior to our visit to the Osaka Expo 2025, we received an email from Finn-Bo Loresnzen of the Germany based indie pop band "Roast Apple" informing us they would be performing at the Germany Pavilion during the Expo.  As it turns out, we were there the same days...

Reached 5,000 Subscribers!

The other day we celebrated one year on Youtube, and today we reached another milestone.   We now have 5,000 subscribers to our Youtube channel.  Hard to imagine that on June 8, 2024, we started with zero.  I'm told most new channels don't make it to one year or never...

We’re One Year Old!

On June 8th of last year, we published our first video on our visit to Takayama.  With no experience in video production or editing, and having never uploaded anything to YouTube, we took the plunge and launched Uncharted Japan on YouTube.  Its been quite the...
Maritime History In Hiroshima

Maritime History In Hiroshima

Hiroshima is of course known as the first city to ever suffer the effects of an atomic weapon.  The iconic “Hiroshima Dome” is one of the most recognized images in the world.  One reason Hiroshima was a target was that it was a major naval and shipbuilding hub for...

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A Delectable Delight in Kyoto

A Delectable Delight in Kyoto

Kyoto is a world class city by any measure, and there is no shortage of scrumptious bakeries and patisseries from which to put  your sweet tooth into overdrive.  Unfortunately, Kyoto is also so popular these days that getting into one of these establishments can be a...

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A Beautiful Garden in Yokohama

A Beautiful Garden in 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. ...

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