This Hokkaido DIY vacation still feels as if it's my first visit to the beautiful island as my previous three trips here were sponsored with all arrangements planned by the Hokkaido Tourism Board (HTB). On those trips, I visited Sapporo and its surrounding areas only briefly as the FAM trips focused mostly on the eastern region of the beautiful island. For this vacation, I planned all the itineraries personally using only Google Maps...
Finally, after more than a month of research and planning, we embarked on a DIY vacation to Kyoto and Osaka, with a side trip to visit Shirakawa-go in Gifu prefecture. This was our first visit to mainland Japan on a free-independent-traveler (FIT) leisurely pace utilising the impressive and superb Japanese transportation network, after gaining experience from a self-driven vacation to Okinawa 2 years back.
Continue Reading Dear friends, was there a time you feel you just have to get that picture? I have such photographic impulse many times and the latest was at Nara city, in my quest to record Japan's fastest mochi pounders Nakatanidou. Nakatanidou won the national high-speed mochitsuki... This visit to Hokkaido is my third over a four-year span but the beautiful island never fails to fascinate me each time. Perhaps the different season and travel theme conspired to maintain that novelty feel. Indeed, Hokkaido has been so successful in establishing herself as a winter holiday destination that the notion winter is the best time to visit sticks in the mind of most visitors. But I beg to... Welcome to First-timer Road Trip to Okinawa - Part 2. This blog is a continuation of my earlier Okinawa travelogue (Part 1) which detailed my coastal phase of the road trip and marked the transition from the laid-back ambience of the northern part of the island to the hustle-bustle of Naha city in the south. The itineraries flow from north to south is ideal as the airport is located at Naha in the south. Starting a vacation from the south and ending in the north... Welcome to this my First-Timer Road Trip to Okinawa - Part 1. To most travellers, a trip to Japan is usually the mainstream cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, or the winterland Hokkaido. Unlike the key cities, Okinawa is less on the mind of most travellers heading to Japan. Personally, my interest in Okinawa was roused by pictures of Whale Sharks at the renowned Churaumi Aquarium. And being a military enthusiast, the happenings at Kadena Air Base, which is the largest and most active US Air... Welcome to my article "Enjoy Hokkaido Food Tourism". When one mentioned Hokkaido, images of snow-capped mountains, breathtaking natural scenery, fresh seafood, and gorgeous hot springs start to flood the mind. Such is the impression that most visitors tend to miss other gems that this enchanting island has to offer. I hope through my travelogue, readers (especially those on self-drive vacation in the western region comprising Sapporo, Kuriyama, Ishikari, and Niseko) will be able to craft a... Welcome to my article on "Hidaka - Hokkaido’s Hidden Gem". When travelling, sometimes it’s the unplanned itineraries that reward us with the best memories. Such is my experience with Hidaka, a coastal town in Southern Hokkaido, just about 130km or a 2.5 hour's drive from the New Chitose Airport. Hidaka is Japan’s largest horse breeding hub accounting for nearly 80% of all horses bred in Japan. In 2011, out of about 7,000 thoroughbred horses bred in Japan, 5,600 came from Hidaka. So...Japan Fastest Mochi Pounders Nakatanidou
Continue ReadingEight Reasons Why Eastern Hokkaido Should Be Your Next Photography Destination
Continue ReadingEight Reasons Why Eastern Hokkaido Should Be Your Next Photography Destination
First-timer Road Trip to Okinawa – Part 2
Continue ReadingFirst-Timer Road Trip to Okinawa – Part 1
Continue ReadingEnjoy Hokkaido Food Tourism
Continue ReadingHidaka – Hokkaido’s Hidden Gem
Continue Reading
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I am Jensen Chua, a pixels predator constantly on the prowl.
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