I’m back at the Hotel Villa Fontaine at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. I know this is an airport hotel, but it’s really deserving of praise for many reasons. A short walk when you exit customs and immigration and you reach the hotel without even leaving Terminal 3. It’s not a luxury hotel, though in…
I’ve always wanted to be a home-owner and up to this point, I’ve been thwarted by economics. I could never get enough to make a decent offer in the beautiful places I’ve lived – or to qualify for a mortgage with my self-employed hustle lifestyle. When I finally did manage to get enough money together…
Just because you have tattoos doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get to enjoy and experience onsen in Japan. In fact, there are quite a few places that are available for those with tats. First of all – this cartoon guide gives some rules for visiting onsen and is directed at foreigners – just imagine for a…
I didn’t take pictures of this – because of basic respect for strangers on holiday – but I hope my words can convey how strange and awesome it is staying in a Japanese tourist hotel in a resort town during a holiday. I’ve written about the onsen (hot spring) and the unfortunate (for me) rule…
I’ve written before about Turkish and Moroccan Hammam, as well as Korean jimjilbang – now it’s time to talk about the Japanese version – onsen. These are bath houses but don’t get them confused with a soapland which is a different thing entirely – though still involving a bath. Onsen are traditional, segregated by sex,…
I have to admit, Hokkaido has really grown on me. In particular, I really enjoy the temperate forests and the peaceful nature. I grew up in snow and it’s incredibly nice to be able to go walk through a park and enjoy the crisp sound of my footsteps. I would love to go skiing or…
Let’s start this with a disclaimer. Growing up in Southern California in the 1970s – Disney was a big part of my childhood. You could almost say that Disney defined my childhood. My mom’s first job was working for Walt Disney at Disneyland. She was one of the original mermaids in the Disneyland lagoon. My…
The tricky part of traveling with my eleven-year-old daughter is finding ways to make it fun for both of us. I wasn’t going to keep us in the Narita Airport Crowne Plaza longer than I had to, so I’d booked us into Annex Katsutaro Ryokan in the old Nippori and Yanaka section of Arakawa City…
I love Japan. I’ve only spent a little bit of time here – but in that short period, I’ve learned that it offers everything I want from a place. The landscapes, the cities, the food, the people and culture, the technology, and much more. I’ve said it before – if Japan were the first country…
Harry Franck’s willingness to travel with no money, his keen eye for the details of his journey and the societies he recorded (some of which soon disappeared) make him a welcome addition to our list of Extraordinary Vagabonds.