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

The Best Cultural Guide (and more) on Japan?

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!

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

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...
Our First Guest Podcast!

Our First Guest Podcast!

In June I received an email from Ari and Aki of Japan Travel Pros inviting us to be guests on one of their upcoming podcasts.  It was a thrill to be asked by someone so knowledgeable residing in Japan who considered us worthy of being heard. Ari is an American living...

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Trademarked!

Trademarked!

After a good bit of effort and having been denied more than once, we finally received our trademark from the United States Patent and Trademark Office! Obtaining a trademark for one's business is an important step in protecting intellectual property rights.  I was...

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Driving the Kiso Valley

Driving the Kiso Valley

We recently published a video of our trip through the Kiso Valley from Nagoya to Matsumoto.  It was a spectacular trip as we followed the Kiso River through the valley making an overnight stop in Agematsu. We started the trip (after a short train ride from Nagoya to...

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