JR Railway and Telephone Cards from Japan
In the 1990s, we spent three years in Japan and during that time, we often used prepaid JR railway cards and prepaid telephone cards. Now, 25 years later, I’m glad I kept them.
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Cherry Blossoms in Japan
This is the time of year, when the cherry blossoms (sakura) are out, I truly miss Japan. This cherry blossom viewing (hanami) usually lasts for about 7 – 10 days in spring and you can follow the course of it, moving south to north, via every weather channel. My friend Yoshiko from Kitakyushu has just…
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Mt. Aso on Kyushu
Back in 2008, we tried to get to the top of Mt. Aso, an active volcano on the southern island of Kyushu (Japan). Due to heavy sulfur fumes, the top of the mountain was not accessible to the public. Just this month, we were fortunate to visit Mt. Aso on a sunny morning. On our…
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Nakatsue Village in the Mountains near Hita on Kyushu
One might wonder how we ended up in a small village high up in the mountains (600 m above sea level). Well, as a volunteer at the Kokusai Center in Kitakyushu, I came to know one of the city employees. She is retired now and lives with her husband in a log cabin in Nakatsue….