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

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...

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...

Godzilla Or Hello Kitty!

We enjoyed a day trip to Awaji Island also known by many as "Godzilla Island" because Awaji Island is where the legend of Godzilla was born in 1954.  Its here where the giant lizard arose from the depths to terrorize Japan and the world ever since. The "Godzilla...
The Most Beautiful Garden in Japan

The Most Beautiful Garden in Japan

Japan is well known for its amazing gardens.  There are several types that follow different criteria and one of the finest, yet most overlooked is the Adachi Gardens and Museum just outside the town of Matsue.  Matsue is located on the Sea of Japan on the southwestern...

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An  Excellent Day Trip From Hiroshima

An Excellent Day Trip From Hiroshima

Hiroshima is one of the more popular destinations in Japan, and for good reason.  Of course there's its unique history with the atomic bomb drop on August 5, 1945 which is memorialized at the Hiroshima Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Dome.  Then there's the iconic...

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The Best Open Air Museum in Tokyo?

The Best Open Air Museum in Tokyo?

We recently discovered the Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum on the edge of Tokyo.  It was an exceptionally nice find.  If you have only one day or two in Tokyo and want to get a true sense of its history through its architecture and culture, then you simply...

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