A quest to see the world and to get more out of life
Just as we were about to leave the ANA Hotel, a small luminous sign caught our eye: Kobe Beef Gallery. Having just eaten the famous wagyu, we decided to pop in for curiosity’s sake. True to its name, the Kobe Beef Gallery showcased a lot of information about Kobe Beef. Actually, it presented more than…
Although it was a short ride from Kyoto to Kobe, we were rushing a bit to get to our destination. We had a lunch reservation at Wakkoqu ANA Hotel at 11:30 and our schedule was getting tight. The good thing was that the hotel was connected to Shin-Kobe station through a covered walkway, but upon…
As I came across many travel photos of Arashiyama’s bamboo grove, I was intrigued. “Would you like to see a bamboo grove?” was the question I asked my parents on our first trip to Japan. The idea was shot down by a stern no, them having grown up in the province where bamboo trees were…
While booking this trip to Japan, I initially intended a relaxed vacation where we would just explore the city of Osaka a bit more, eat some of their fantastic food, and do some sightseeing in Kyoto. With my brother joining us, it had suddenly evolved into a jam-packed itinerary full of ‘must-see’ attractions. We were…
From the Ogimachi Observatory, it was an easy trek down to the cluster of houses that made this village famous. The houses slowly got bigger as we made our descent, as if zooming in on the beautiful vista from a telephoto lens. The houses looked small from the view deck, but it was quickly proven…
Our side trip to Kanazawa and the Japanese Alps all stemmed from one thing: my desire to visit the village of Shirakawa-go. Its winter scene of snow-capped roofs and light emanating from screened windows would have been a sight to behold, but it was summer when we visited. Even without the famous night illumination, Shirakawa-go…
Over the course of researching what to do in Takayama, eating Hida beef, the region’s famed wagyu, was one of the top results. I never thought that we would be able to sample this Japanese beef multiple times over our short stay in Takayama, but some of these dining experiences were priceless. Yakiniku at Hidagyu…
Takayama’s Sanmachi Suji is arguably Takayama’s biggest draw. I was one of those who, upon seeing photos of the town, searched how to get there on that very instance. It was quite the journey from Kyoto, but we were finally in Takayama, and we were ready to behold the wonderful sight. I felt it was…
Trying our best to avoid the sudden rain, we sought refuge to the nearest tourist attraction, Takayama Jinya. It was the only place I could think of where we could spend some considerable time since the heavy downpour didn’t seem to be going away soon. From Sanmachi Suji, it was a short walk to Takayama…
It was damp the morning after our arrival in Takayama. It was no longer pouring heavily, but it was visible that it had not stopped raining. The summer showers were here to stay, so we only had to make do with what we can. Cooped up in our hotel, we opted to buy breakfast from…