Arashiyama is in the Western area of Kyoto. It is a little further away than other sites in Kyoto and can get busy particularly in autumn and sakura seasons. However, it is a beautiful area and the kids enjoyed it as there are lots of areas to explore. These were our three favourite things and…
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Gunkanjima, translated as Battleship Island, because it’s an island that looks like the outline of a battleship. Gunkanjima or Hashima Island is an abandoned mining community where miners and their families lived. This island has concrete remains of houses and schools, eerily abandoned when the underground mines closed in 1974. The only way to get…
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The Peace Park in Nagasaki, is a place of remembrance of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945 during WW2. It is located near the hypocentre of the explosion and consists of two parks and Museum. The black monolith commemorates the Hypocentre of the explosion. Nearby is a portion of the Urakami cathedral that was…
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Nara deer park you can walk among the 1200 wild deer that freely roam around the park each day. Deer were considered messengers of the gods, they are now a national treasure. Throughout the park, stalls sell deer crackers which you can feed to the deer, they will bow first to ask for food before…
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Todai-ji temple is a wooden Buddhist temple built in 752. The main temple is the largest wooden structure in the world and houses a 15m tall bronze statue of Buddha. The Nandaimon or Great South Gate leads up to the temple and is guarded by two fierce statues the Ni-o or two kings of Todai-ji.…
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We do not claim to be a skiing family or experts of any sort! This post if for families like us that want to check out Japan and spend some time in the snow while they are there. Here are our suggestions for planning and organising your trip. Decide which ski field to visit This…
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Japan is home to 500 ski fields! With so much choice it can be hard to know where to visit. Deciding where to go will depend very much on what you want to experience. Do you want a big ski village with lots of options of slopes? Do you want to stay close to Tokyo…
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If you plan to travel to Japan in winter, then it is worthwhile purchasing your winter clothing towards the end of winter in Australia when you can find some excellent end of season bargains! These are some of the items we recommend to pack when travelling through Japan in winter. Jackets We took snow jackets…
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Winter time in Japan is truly magical, seeing the countryside covered in a layer of soft fresh snow makes it especially beautiful. If you are dreaming of a White Christmas in Japan you will certainly get the white, but perhaps not the Christmas. Christmas is not really celebrated in Japan. You will hear Christmas music…
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Japan is the home of Pokémon, so with three boys that are Pokémon fans, there is no way we can escape from checking out everything Pokémon on our trips! Pokémon, short for Pocket Monsters, was first released as a game for Gameboy by Nintendo in 1996 and now, with Pokémon card games, anime TV series,…
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