Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park opened April 1st 1954. It stands as a reminder of the first nuclear weapon attack, an attack on innocent civilians, children and an entire city. Today, threats of using nuclear weapons are being made on Twitter by World Leaders who were born after the destruction of Read more…
We’ve updated our Hostel Etiquette to include China and Southeast Asia. Hostel Etiquette is a set of unofficial customs travels abide by while traveling abroad. Of course these customs can change from city to country depending on the types of visitors and their habits. While it does vary, it’s a Read more…
Hiroshima Castle is a beautiful 5 story museum with a viewing platform at the top overlooking all of downtown Hiroshima City. Surrounded by a large moat and ruins left over from the Castle’s destruction in the Atomic Bomb blast of 1945, the rebuilt Castle stands as a sign of strength Read more…
Yabusame (流鏑馬) is a type of horseback archery that was commonly practiced by Samurai in ancient feudal Japan. Today, Yabusame is used in traditional rituals to bestow blessings upon the people and appease the Shinto Gods. The ritual involves shooting three targets, however it was originally developed as practice for Read more…
Welcome to Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. Also known as the Shrine of 10,000 Torii 鳥居, located on Mt. Inari or “Inariyama” in Japanese. It’s an incredibly popular tourist destination in Kyoto and one of Japan’s most important Shinto Shrines. Bring your walking shoes, it’s a little bit of a climb! Fushimi Read more…
Drinking sake is as Japanese as you can get. It’s more than an alcoholic beverage, it’s an entire history and tradition. Sake tasting should be part of every travelers itinerary when visiting Japan. And no better place to do it than in Fushimi, Kyoto. Fushimi Sake District is one of Read more…
Ninna-ji Temple is one of the most spectacular and historic temples in Kyoto Japan. In a city with over 2000 temples, shrines, castles and palaces, Ninna-ji Temple has one particular unique feature: For almost 1000 years, the temple’s head priest often came from the imperial family lineage. Just a few Read more…
Just a short train ride from Gion or Kyoto Station, Arashiyama (嵐山) is a small sub-section of greater Kyoto, tucked into the base of the city’s western mountains. Famous for the bamboo forest walk and the docile macaque monkeys that live in the mountain top park, Arashiyama has always been Read more…
The Big Mac is the most famous burger in the world (arguably more than the Big Kahuna Burger). You can visit a McDonald’s Cafe in 48 countries and get roughly the exactly the same burger experience. However, what you pay for your Big Mac will be different! Let’s take Japan as Read more…
In April 2016, I volunteered for a month in an international youth hostel in Kyoto, Japan. It was my third volunteering experience, the second through workaway, and I absolutely loved it! I saved $800 in accommodations, made new friends and enjoyed a totally new way of travelling. In a densely Read more…
Day Trip to Uji, Kyoto Prefecture The following day after my trip to Nara, I set out early in the morning with a new friend from my hostel. Jenni had spent a year living in and exploring the old capital city and neighboring towns. For her this was a trip down Read more…