Journeys in Japan (2010)

Fukuoka city, fukuoka: rediscovering asia in fukuoka

Toyama city, toyama

Furano, hokkaido: traversing snowy furano by dog sled

Naoshima, kagawa: island of art

Kamakura, kanagawa: discovering japan's samurai spirit

Tsukuba, ibaraki: a city with state-of-the-art technology

Oshino village, yamanashi: living close to mt. fuji

Tottori sand dunes, tottori: land of majestic dunes

Northern izu peninsula, shizuoka: suruga bay's bountiful nature

Toyokawa, aichi

Himeji, hyogo

Naruto, tokushima

Miyazu city, kyoto - amanohashidate: japan's scenic treasure

Yonezawa city, yamagata: the city with a warrior's legacy

Geo-touring in kyushu

Mino city, gifu

Minabe, wakayama: town of forests and orchards

Sendai & matsushima, miyagi: in the footsteps of a renowned warlord

Nara, nara: nara heijokyo, celebrating 1300 years of culture

Spring & summer 2010 highlights

Sekita mountain range, nagano/niigata: into the wild long trail in satoyama

Uchiko, ehime: a town built upon the thoughts of its people

Ashikaga city, tochigi

Karatsu, saga: karatsu with an homage to jacques mayo

Izu-oshima, tokyo: island of marathon dreams

Hita city, oita

Aizu, fukushima: a taste of tradition and scenic charm

Shimanami kaido, hiroshima/ehime: a cycling tour: refreshing breezes at the seto inland sea

A passion for industrial structures: exploring people's passion for industrial structure tours: this time in kanagawa, gunma, nagasaki prefectures

Kure, hiroshima: gourmet life in a port city

Hachimantai, akita: akita's hidden hot springs: traditional onsen therapy

Iya valley, tokushima: exploring the remote iya valley

Yakushima, kagoshima: enchanting yakushima

Kanazawa city, ishikawa: city of gold leaf

Koyasan, wakayama: a temple stay to recharge

Ishinomaki city, miyagi: manga land

Goto islands, nagasaki

Industrial artisan craftsmanship

Colorful temple tour!

Toba city, mie: the heartland of the pearl

Himi, takaoka and gokayama, toyama

Miura peninsula, kanagawa: a great get-away on tokyo's doorstep

Abashiri city, hokkaido: to the land of drift ice

Mystical kunisaki: a journey back in time

Old meets new in kumamoto

Matsue, shimane: glimpses of lafcadio hearn

Cape muroto in early spring

Izu peninsula, shizuoka

Seki city, gifu: city of cutlery

Kobe, hyogo: kobe kokashita - an arcade - a wonderland under the tracks

A pilgrimage back in time: kompira-san

The great nature along the shimanto river

Yamaguchi: water's power and beauty

Jewels in the ocean: ogasawara islands

A precious ecology: ogasawara islands

Gifu city, gifu prefecture: cormorant fishing - an ancient tradition

Breathtaking landscapes

Summertime, easy living: niseko, hokkaido

Kazuno, akita prefecture: mining a vibrant culture

Getting lost in onomichi's secret alleys

Nature sanctuary: oze's marshland

Miyama, kyoto prefecture

A vibrant community: yokohama chinatown

The soul of okinawan music (1)

The soul of okinawan music (2)

Mount fuji, yamanashi prefecture: the power of the majestic volcano

Subtropical island gem: amami oshima

Maniwa city, okayama prefecture: a city steeped in traditional craft rate

Tono city, iwate prefecture: discovering a land of legends

Izakaya pub culture: the heart of japan

The flavor of autumn

Sado: a stage for tradition

Blessings from the mountains

Seto city, aichi prefecture: home of setomono pottery

Hiraizumi, iwate prefecture: paradise of peace

Nagasaki city, nagasaki prefecture: exotic nagasaki

Nature's great amusement park: hakone

Kujukurihama, chiba prefecture: living the beach life

The rokko mountain range, kobe: mountain climbing in kobe's backyard

Walking the historic nakasendo

Samurai days in satsuma

Mikuni, fukui prefecture: the supreme winter delicacy

Suzuka city, mie prefecture: city of sumi

Furano, hokkaido: white wintry world

Ohenro shikoku pilgrimage part 1: tokushima prefecture

Ohenro shikoku pilgrimage part 2: kochi prefecture

Life in the deep snow

Kingdom of udon: kagawa prefecture

Dancing among the gods: takachiho, miyazaki prefecture

Treasures of the ancient capital: nara prefecture

Beppu city, oita prefecture: nature's gift: hot springs

Okinawa: inspired by the sea and land, crafted by hand

Yanagawa, fukuoka prefecture: spring on the waterways

Gourmet adventure: osaka, osaka prefecture

Time travelling in shiga

On two wheels to aso

Getting lost in pink petals

Ohenro shikoku pilgrimage part 3: ehime

Ohenro shikoku pilgrimage part 4: kagawa

A classic steam train trip: the oigawa railway

Pristine paradise: iriomote, okinawa

Life in the slow lane: taketomi, okinawa

Pure alpine waterscapes: azumino and kamikochi

The cinematic cityscape of kitakyushu

Sapporo: the good life

Going with the flow: ehime prefecture

Kumano kodo iseji route

Rishiri: from sea to summit

Rebun: a floating garden

Vibrant colors, ancient tradition: kanazawa

Bounty from the mountains, sea and plain: yamagata

Forest sanctuary: shirakami

Samurai spirit and natural treasures: aizu, fukushima prefecture

Japan's traditional blue: tokushima's indigo

Craftsmanship close to nature: asahikawa

Beauty in the everyday: mashiko

Rivers run through it: beautiful morioka

Nagoya city, aichi prefecture: miso, the taste of tradition

Fukuoka, fukuoka prefecture: taste the tradition of fukuoka

Japan's wine country: katsunuma

Abundant sea: sanriku coast

All about matcha green tea: matsue

Haiku poetry, autumn foliage: otsu & ogaki

Exploring yatsugatake's nature and jomon legacy

Winter bliss in takayama

Zen and the samurai spirit: kamakura

Namahage new year's rite

Pure mt. fuji: a winter journey

Honjima: treasure house of the seto inland sea

Sanriku coast: abundant sea part 2

Ice monsters and warm hospitality: zao

Discovering tottori crafts

Nature's beauty in microcosm

Spring colors of ibusuki

A spiritual journey in oita

Jazzy kobe

Minami-boso: seaside trip with children

The soulful rhythms of the amami islands

Textiles from a royal tradition

Ishigaki island: living in harmony with the ocean

Kamakura tradition: spring in the ancient capital

Peach trees and rural retreat: kofu basin

Tateyama peak experience

The rhythms of ainu life: lake akan

Tohoku haiku journey: following basho's footsteps

Hakone and izu: classic hotel stays

Osaka art power

Oki islands

Living with horses: hidaka

Tsugaru soul music - tsugaru shamisen

Setouchi triennale: art-island hopping

Ise jingu: man, gods and nature

Wonderful yakushima

Japan's porcelain legacy - arita & imari

Life on the lake: kasumigaura

The festival for the wind

Deep into traditional japan: gokayama

The land of fire: kumamoto

Kagura: dancing beyond time

Iga ninja forest

Nostalgic kawagoe

Celebrating akita cedar

Continuing the thread of tradition: kiryu

The miniature world of bonsai: omiya

Mesmerizing islands at the crossroads

Murakami: city of salmon and sake

Hiroshima: the city of hope

A passion for mechanical magic: aichi

Kobe: neighborhoods reborn

Tochigi: secret world of samurai and hot spring

Sanriku: lives intertwined with the sea

Nagatoro: natural forests and pure ice

Kohoku: life close to buddhist deities

Sanjo: forging tradition and craftsmanship

Kyoto in spring part 1: discovering dolls' day traditions

Kyoto in spring part 2: discovering the world of incense

Kurashiki: celebrating heritage

A day-trip from tokyo part 1: kamakura - city of nature, history and tradition

A day-trip from tokyo part 2: slow train in springtime chiba

Takamatsu: spirit of craftsmanship

Yoshino, nara: awash in pink petals

Izumo: land of living legends

Splashing and chilling in minakami

Wajima lacquerware, layers of perfection

Celebrating the landscape of azumino

Kanazawa: evolving tradition

Outdoor hokkaido part 1: shiretoko wildlife paradise

Outdoor hokkaido part 2: into the wilds of kushiro

Iwate: road to recovery

Okinawa: the land of karate

Tomioka: cradle of japan's modernization

Niyodo river: pure water of the gods

Ine, kyoto: serenity by the sea

Gujo-hachiman: dancing in the city of water

Dewa sanzan, yamagata part 1: deep mountain worship

Dewa sanzan, yamagata part 2: yamabushi training for death and rebirth

Kumamoto prefecture: appreciating abundance

Into the heart of kyoto

Wakasa bay, fukui prefecture: following the old mackerel road

Savoring fall on shodoshima

Tomonoura: the old folks and the sea

Izumo: land of legend and folk craft

Yokohama stories

Echizen: the world of washi

Winter wonderland: hakodate

Naruko onsen: the home of kokeshi dolls

Iwate: savoring winter

Blues city osaka

Sanriku: returning the emotion

Majestic yakushima in winter

Kumamoto: children, dolls and celebrating spring

Otaru: canal town with northern lights

Mito: gardens, tradition and spring blossoms

Lake biwa: in praise of water

Pure himeji: beautiful castle city, craftsman culture

Awaji island: keeping traditions alive

Shonan: living the slow life on the coast

Sado island: behind the mask dance

Mt. hotaka: climbing to the roof of japan

Hokkaido: the sacred sounds of the ainu

Morioka: celebrating a culture of people and horses

Izu & odawara : the senses of summer

Shakotan blue: the ocean's beauty and bounty

Biei, hokkaido: layers of beauty in the patchwork hills

The sacred kumano kodo: kii peninsula

Kikaijima: life on a coral island

Bullfighting in uwajima: passion and tradition

The thrilling nebuta festival

Savoring rural pleasures: daigo, ibaraki

Kameyama, mie: living in the present, preserving the past

Iiyama: the landscape of the heart

Kingdom of apples: tsugaru, aomori

Mt. tsurugi: attacking the palace of crags

Adventures in wonderland: iya, tokushima

Takayama & furukawa: treasuring traditions

Artisans and beauty: koshu, yamanashi

Nara & yagyu: on the road to the sword of peace

Ishigaki: diving in the sea of coral

Akita autumn feast

Takachiho: dancing for the deities

Miyako: the island of song

Koyasan: new year at a traditional power spot

Kushiro: the crystalline sounds of winter

Okinoerabu island: home away from home

Kakunodate: pride in the samurai tradition

Yatsugatake: outdoor winter play

Kinosaki onsen: bathing in tradition

Iwate winter rite

Okayama: into the deep red

Chichibu: a springtime pilgrimage

Akiu: in the footsteps of a legendary warlord

Mihonoseki: land of the gods

Ise-shima: experiencing a lifestyle close to nature

Tendo: an enduring, evolving passion for wood

Nara: tranquil temples and bountiful blooms

Komatsu kabuki kids

A taste of nagasaki

Iejima: resilient land, resilient people

Okayama: the profound spirit of the rocks

Sabae: eye on design

Bounty of the wild north: cape soya, hokkaido

Hokkaido: summer gardens under the northern sky

Hidden village kuma

Aomori: out of this world

Akita: swaying lanterns brighten summer nights

Deep into kurobe: toyama climbing

Uchikawa: a retro river townscape

Tanegashima: guns, rockets and surf

Yubari: mining the nostalgia

Walking the nakasendo: a road to the past

Chichibu: an autumn pilgrimage

Munakata: the sea and goddesses

Sacred mt. ishizuchi: autumn trekking

Hagi: the cradle of modern japan

Isumi-ichinomiya: fresh air and laid-back living

Koza: a rhythm all its own

Ogawayama: a rock climber's paradise

Niseko: snowy adventures

Suruga bay: the bounty of the deep

Tokoname: city of ceramics past and present

Ibaraki: savoring winter flavors

Hokkaido: sculpting winter's ice and snow

Mt. norikuradake: a peak winter experience

Odate: the land of the akita inu

Oya, utsunomiya: stone town & quarry ruins tour

Nagoya: samurai warlord chronicles

Hakuba: off piste to a hidden hot spring

Nara: ancient sanctuary for all living creatures

Monobe, kochi: tales from the magical mountain hamlet

Manazuru: good living by design

Nanyo, ehime: water for life and fun

Meiwa-cho, mie: an ancient legend comes to life

Mount daisen: mystical rites, local life

Murayama, yamagata: local delicacies, local pride

Tottori: sculpted by nature

Deep into the unspoiled forest: shirakami sanchi

Yonaguni: wild west escapades

Obuse, nagano: walking and running for fun

Taisetsuzan: summer alpine discoveries

Kochi's summertime fever: the yosakoi!

Awa odori festival: spirited away in tokushima

Yanai: old town of goldfish lanterns

Nagara river: pristine beauty, waterborne bounty

Minami-izu: unspoiled seaside getaway

A river runs through hokkaido

Kagoshima: the taste and style of "kuro" culture

Kikuma, ehime: pride and pageantry

Togakushi: autumn hues at a sacred mountain

Passage of time: lake towada in autumn

Karatsu: festival floats, deep community spirit

Traces of history: exploring around hiroshima

Yokkaichi: bringing back the skies

Tsubakuro-dake: new year high up in the northern alps

Oita: rest and recuperation, onsen style

Fukuoka: city of food and flavor

Takada: community and tradition in snow country

A winter wonderland of ice: eastern hokkaido

Hachinohe: warmth in winter

Makabe: a promise of spring

Toyama: a food culture rich in umami

Following a samurai tea master

Okumusashi: spring forest feast

Agano river: green foliage and spring rituals

Ashikaga and tochigi: cultivating nature and tradition

Atami: the spa revival

Nikko: contemplating its architectural jewels

Tsugaru: amateur sumo, indomitable tradition

Tsuwano: painted past, vividly present

Remote ojika island: portal to the past

Misugi: taking it slow in the mountains

Tobishima: living life on island time

Yuki & oyama: neighbors with interwoven tradition

Mt. fuji: climbing to the sacred realm

Kita-akita: deep connections with nature

Okushiri island: secret gem off hokkaido

Totsukawa: a spiritually charged place of beauty

Iki: island of beauty and promise

The lost pirates of the seto inland sea

Kitayama village: a community with unique charms

Mt. gozaisho: going extreme

Fukuoka: a city of two faces

Houki-cho: preserving the past for the future

Kanazawa: a legacy of color

Iriomote island: a small piece of paradise

Kamioka: pedaling ahead to the past

Chugei, kochi: exploring the yuzu road

Nichinan: a port city reviving

Tottori: crab lover's paradise

Nagahama: heading north along lake biwa

Iheya: peaceful winter getaway

Kikuchi: slow food, slow travel

Okinawa: architecture of history and tradition

Iojima: a volcanic island with a passion for rhythm

Gliding hokkaido's powder

Minami-uonuma: weaving new snow country tales

Oku-echizen: abundance and tranquility

Road tripping around miyazaki

Tateyama: wondrous underwater encounters

Iga: keeping the ninja tradition alive

Hieizan: mother mountain of eternal prayer

Uchiko: epic kite battle

Yamaguchi: landscapes and their stories

Nishi-izu, hidden gem

Shizuoka: wonderland of green tea

Hachimantai: timeless landscape, healing water

Tonami: the winds of change

Mt. hakusan: sacred peak of natural beauty

Sawara: festival floats keeping ties alive

Steel city muroran and its hidden charms

Izumo: the heart of the japanese spirit

Iwate: blazing a trail to the future

Rausu: coexistence with nature's bounty

Kagawa: stepping into the past

Nakanojo: the force of art and nature

Yamanashi: escaping the heat by the katsura river

Kishiwada danjiri festival: thrills and local pride

New wind blowing in iwamizawa

Ise: pilgrimage to the heart of japan

Nanyo: from wheels to wings

Osaka: the architecture of a vibrant metropolis

Climbing fun on sacred mt. myogi

Asago: hidden gem of heritage and history

Suo-oshima: finding hawaii in the inland sea

Unlocking the mysteries of ancient asuka

Yokohama: a port town with it all

Mishima, fukushima: keeping alive the folk craft tradition

Tsugaru: deep snow, warm hearts

The magic of winter in akita

Hateruma: life on a distant island

Hakkoda's backcountry magic

Asahikawa: adventures on sleds and wheels

Rivers of life: kaizu and kuwana

Ishigaki: a look to the future

Kagawa: treasure house of modernist architecture

Atami is back

Otoyo: bringing fresh life to a traditional community

Rural reboot: kamiyama's renaissance

Nanmoku: afterglow of the silk road

Work-life bliss in itoshima

Ogawa village: laidback living with mountain vistas

Omi-hachiman: historic merchant town on sacred lake

South iwate: on the trail to recovery

Passion on the vine: yamanashi and its winemakers

Ashio: memory of the forest

Miyagi: on the trail to recovery

Ojiya: deep roots in snow country

Revisiting ibaraki's autumn-winter flavors

Kyoto: tango chirimen

Tsu: a path to the heart

Tsushima: slow living on a frontline island

Moji: gateway to the world

Frozen beauty at dawn and dusk: hokkaido in midwinter

Poetic beauty of wintry kussharo

Otaru: herring and glassware; keeping alive otaru's tradition

Eye on nagoya: a city's identity through architecture

Yamatokoriyama: water brimming with goldfish

Minami shinshu: a solo alps journey

Rainy nights, summer mysteries

Go deep! underwater paradise

Toba islands: life and love in a traditional community

Cultivating a taste for summer vegetables

The trail to chiyanoki: mountain biking revives village

Lifting the spirit through architecture: nikko okinawa osaka

Summer festivals to celebrate around japan

Ishinomaki: a decade on - remembering and moving ahead

Ascending the sacred peaks

An ode to live music

Creative solutions spark rural revival

Legacies of samurai culture

Hokkaido: catching the northern lights

Oki, iki, tsushima: frontline islands in the stream

Shinto rituals: linking communities and deities

Northern alps for all seasons

Rising from the ruins

Michinoku the legend of gold

Kasama: a pottery community in evolution

Yamanobe no michi: strolling back into the past

Hamamatsu: from local expertise to global renown

Matsusaka: legacy of samurai, merchants, artisan

Japow magical backcountry ski tour

—festivals— a harbinger of spring

Hearing the silent voice of the bedrock

Eyeing architectural wonders

Nagasaki: city of hills and hope

Eternally radiant himeji castle

Maniwa: living from the forest

Breathing new life into iwaki

Exploring the mudflats of the ariake sea in saga

Yamagata: communing with the living and the dead

Suzuka: city with a racing circuit

Iriomote: pursuing the elusive jungle cat

Shinhama, sendai: a green sea wall for the future

Tamba-sasayama: inn to the heart of a village

Okinawa: weaving culture

Peak pleasure in the northern alps

Midsummer with the ancestors: wakasa town

With isabella bird: on the road to nikko

Tochigi: destinations of timeless calm

Spirited away to tono

Hakone hachiri: highway back in time

Kumamoto: castle town loves its past with eye on the future

Nagoya: exploring with insiders

Ozu: castle town looking to the future

Kyushu: on the trail of shoyu

Yasugi: discoveries along the iron road

Matsue: the world of wagashi

Kochi: into the luminous darkness

Winter along the mogami river

Live long, live well in northern nagano

Akita, yamagata, niigata: the textiles and traditions of winter

Sapporo: ski mountaineering tradition

Rambling around secluded yanbaru

Onomichi: vistas, cats and steep hillsides

Tobishima kaido: taking it slow on golden isles

With isabella bird — part 2: on the road to tsugawa

On the sugar road from nagasaki to saga

Nibutani the ainu, living with kamuy

The wild life in one-of-a-kind amami

Amami oshima: beauty in the rain

Owase: city of abundant rain

Discovering the wonders of iya valley

Tsuruga castle, where the past meets the present

Gujo-hachiman: dancing the night away

With isabella bird — part 3: on the road to yamagata

Koyasan: in pursuit of enlightenment

From ise to the source of the sacred river

The soaring dragons of chichibu

Kyushu: on the shoyu trail: nagasaki – kumamoto – miyazaki

Handa: savoring a canal city's delights

Yakushima awakenings

Morioka: slow life, indie spirit

360 degrees of mt. fuji: hiking the long trail - part 1

360 degrees of mt. fuji: hiking the long trail - part 2

On the sugar road from saga to fukuoka

Isumi shines as liveable city

Silk road: threads of history from gunma to yokohama

Geto kogen: deep powder dreams

Akita's festivals light up long winters

Tomonoura: tradition and community in a historic port

Okinawa: whispers of the ryukyu kingdom

Taketa: onsen bathing old and new

With isabella bird — part 4: on the road to akita

Okayama: divine beings up close

Ogaki: the city of water

Yamagata: heartland of wood architecture

Shodoshima: island of discoveries

Deep dive in sugashima: the island of women fishers

Niseko in summer: natural fun in the great outdoors

Kumano kodo: fast hiking to nirvana

Nagasaki's obon: a time for remembrance

With isabella bird — part 5: on the road to aomori

Osaka: osaka heart and soul

Tokushima: heartland of fermentation

Oita kunisaki peninsula: a land of buddhas and gods

Another kobe: a thatched roof village

Fukushima: trekking with volcanoes & hot springs

Ise-shima: timeless world of pearls

The mountain spirit of shiiba village

Kyushu: land of samurai swords

Enku's 120,000 smiles over gifu

Hokuriku 1: foods and flavors of the trading ships

Hokuriku 2: the golden age of the trading ships and their legacy

Gunma: raking in good luck

Hida: deep winter escape

Hokkaido sapporo: sensing the city through its architecture

Niigata: snow country wonderland

Wakayama: the cradle of japan's flavors

Kure port, kochi — the lure of katsuo

Izu peninsula: volcanic beauty

Nagaoka: water, the wellspring of abundance

Matagi: yamagata’s spiritual hunter-gatherers

Nishio: whisking up the global matcha boom

Tochigi: life away from the sea

Okinawa: a world in bloom

With isabella bird — part 6: on the road to biratori