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NORTH ROUTE
SOUTH ROUTE
ABOUT THE TOUR
“ú–{Œê

Reports from the South Route
November 2, 2013 (Day 30)
Itoigawa - the final leg
I met THE Thomas Koehler at Hotel Kunitomi Suisenkaku yesterday! It was great to be able to finally meet the man who started it all, in person. We had dinner together before retiring for the night... read all
November 1, 2013 (Day 29)
Kamikochi to Itoigawa
After yesterdayfs blue skies and excellent weather conditions, I woke up with great expectations for today. The idea was to head to Matsumoto Castle to see the sunrise... read all
October 31, 2013 (Day 28)
Kamikochi, you're the best
If I thought Kiso Valley was beautiful (it still is!), Ifve been swayed by Kamikochi. Left the hotel early in the morning to start my journey towards Kamikochi read all
October 30, 2013 (Day 27)
Magome to Kamikochi
I drove to Narai, just 30 minutes away from the hotel, and took a walk in the old town. It is very similar to Magome and Tsumago with the buildings all kept as they were... read all
October 29, 2013 (Day 26)
Kiso Valley, you're beautiful
Today started off as the coldest day Ifve experienced on the Tour so far. Sutou-san from Kiso City Tourist Association picked me up from Onyado Tsutaya in the morning and was my guide for the entire day... read all
October 28, 2013 (Day 25)
Nagoya to Magome
On my way to Magome, I stopped at Koubeigama, a ceramics studio and museum. It was very interesting to look at the shop and the little museum they have on the premises... read all
October 27, 2013 (Day 24)
Nagoya, you're alright
It has never crossed my mind to bring the t-shirt and use it as a "flag". Thank goodness for the ladies from Mitsui, Kaoru-san and Hiroko-san who brought a t-shirt and used it as a one... read all
October 26, 2013 (Day 23)
Minakuchi to Nagoya
Yesterday, Noda-san was telling me that Koka grows and produces tea when we were on our way towards the ninja house. I was surprised to learn that because Koka isnft famous for tea production, unlike Uji, and some cities in Shizuoka... read all
October 25, 2013 (Day 22)
Old Tokaido
With today's walk cancelled due to the typhoon, my local guide, Noda-san, brought me out to see a different Koka with a couple stops along the route I was supposed to walk... read all
October 24, 2013 (Day 21)
Kyoto to Minakuchi - all things tofu.
Kyoto is famous for many things, and one of them is soy products. By soy products, I mean tofu and all things related. This being a transit day, I had a bit of time in the day to go tofu... read all
October 23, 2013 (Day 20)
Kyoto in the rain
Even in the rain, Kyoto is still breathtaking. The view from the top of the third gate of Nanzenji Temple was just beautiful, as well as the view of Kiyomizudera. I cannot get enough of... read all
October 22, 2013 (Day 19)
Amanohashidate to Kyoto
I started today with a guided tour of Seikiro and the town of Miyazu. Like I mentioned yesterday, Seikiro has a history of about 300 years and there are many artifacts... read all
October 21, 2013 (Day 18)
Amanohashidate and Ine Village
Dinner last night was a different experience, a first in this trip. Tokuda-san, the 13th owner of Seikiro, invited me to dinner with his family. It was a great pleasure to meet... read all
October 20, 2013 (Day 17)
Tottori to Amanohashidate
Woke up to rain after yesterdayfs beautiful warm weather. Just as well todayfs a transit day for me. I had originally planned to head to Kyoga Misaki Lighthouse on my way to Miyazu... read all
October 19, 2013 (Day 16)
Tottori Sand Dunes
Dinner at Tottori City Hotel last night was good and I struggled to stay awake after dinner (I almost lost.) Thankfully the sand dunes aren't too far from here... read all
October 18, 2013 (Day 15)
Okayama to Tottori
Today felt like one of those days where I ate constantly. Must be all the cycling that Ifve been doing. Started the morning hanging out at... read all
October 17, 2013 (Day 14)
Kibi Plain
After yesterdayfs epic ride, I started off kinda early for todayfs walk. It is yet another bike ride, but this time through the Kibi Plain. Instead of driving, I took the train... read all
October 16, 2013 (Day 13)
Onomichi to Okayama: Shimanami Kaido
Todayfs bike ride confirms the one thing Ifve always known - cycling the entire length of the Shimanami Kaido on a mamachari was a bad idea. Itfs not that I had a choice as the bike rental place ONLY had mamacharis for rent... read all
October 15, 2013 (Day 12)
Shimanami Kaido will have to wait
Yet another cancelled walk due to typhoon. Thatfs three cancelled walks because of the weather! Thankfully, the rain and wind didnft affect Onomichi as strongly as it will Tokyo and the north... read all
October 14, 2013 (Day 11)
Uchiko to Onomichi
One of the famous places in Matsuyama is Dogo Onsen. It is located just outside the local shopping street in the Dogo area, surrounded by hotels... read all
October 13, 2013 (Day 10)
Uchiko and the sunny days continue
Woke up to another sunny day in Matsuyama. Ifm not complaining, sunny days over rainy days especially when Ifm travelling. My room at Kowakuen Hotel is huge... read all
October 12, 2013 (Day 9)
Yufuin to Uchiko
Today was about leaving Kyushu and going to Ehime prefecture. When Kimura-san told me that I could sleep on the ferry because the journey would take 3hrs, I thought he was referring to not having to drive and thus being able to sleep... read all
October 11, 2013 (Day 8)
Yufuin and I've spent a week in Kyushu
Leaving Aso, I headed towards Beppu. Ifve been told that Oita prefecture has 8 out of the 9 different types of hot spring waters in the world. Too bad I wasnft able to go on an onsen... read all
October 10, 2013 (Day 7)
Mount Aso to Yufuin
Upon the invitation of Nagata-san, we headed up to Daikanbo lookout for a chance to see the sea of clouds above the city. It seems that for this sea of clouds to form... read all
October 9, 2013 (Day 6)
Mount Aso and I think I got sunburnt today
All Ifve done when Ifm here, is go for a soak in the bath (you can reserve any one of the two private baths at one time, or head to the communal bath), eat, and lounge in the room... read all
October 8, 2013 (Day 5)
Kirishima to Mount Aso
With most of the TV channels reporting on Typhoon 24, all I wanted to do was to track its progress on the television (where it's safe haha). I left Kirishima a little earlier to avoid driving when the typhoon got closer... read all
October 7, 2013 (Day 4)
Kirishima and where is Takachiho?
After a full dinner and an awesome soak in one of the outdoor baths last night (it was a beautiful starry night when there wasnft rain getting into my eyes), I woke up to dismal weather... read all
October 6, 2013 (Day 3)
Kagoshima to Kirishima
We're on the move! I was recommended to go to a black vinegar place on my way to Kirishima and off I went with brochure in hand. There were many many clay jars of black vinegar... read all
October 5, 2013 (Day 2)
Kagoshima in the rain
As the title pretty much sums it up, it rained the whole time we were on our walk. Rain or shine, our walkers turned up as they said they would (as did I!)... read all
October 4, 2013 (Day 1)
Cape Sata and the warm welcome
Hello and welcome to my very first post as travel reporter for the We Love Japan Tour 2013. I'm excited to start my month long journey here in Kagoshima... read all
October 2, 2013
We Love Japan Tour 2013 Kick-off Celebration
After months of planning and preparation, the We Love Japan Tour 2013 is finally upon us. Tonight, the Embassy of Switzerland in Tokyo hosted the "We Love Japan Tour 2013 Kick-off Celebration" to introduce the tour's two travel bloggers to... read all

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