Who needs fantasy escapism when Japan’s natural beauty is pretty amazing already? With all the COVID travel restrictions in place, it’s a good time to watch TV shows to help you distress while you’re stuck at home and that show…
A Return to Matsushiro
Two years ago, when we first started Wayfarer Daves, the first full article we published was about the unfinished Matsushiro Daihonei, or Imperial General Headquarters in Matsushiro, a small village in Nagano, Japan. You can find Mr. Krigbaum’s original…
Matsumoto Castle: The Pride of a Castle Town
Japan loves its castles. We’ve written about Japanese castles several times on this site, and it is unlikely that we will run out anytime soon. Every old feudal domain (called Han in old Japanese) capital city seems to have…
Tsumago and the Nakasendo Road: Day 2
By: Dave Hansche If you haven’t read day one yet, you can find it here: http://www.wayfarerdaves.com/?p=615 When we left off, my co-blogging friend and I had just finished a rainy hike into Tsumago-juku, an old post town on the…
Tsumago and the Nakasendo Road : Day 1
Japan is a beautiful country, filled with towering mountain peaks and sleeping volcanoes, and crisscrossed by springs, rivers, and mountain streams. Every time I wander into the mountains of rural Japan, I am amazed at how stunningly beautiful it…
Matsushiro Daihonei: Preparing to Fight the Final Battle of World War II
In early August 1945 World War II was far from over. Months and even years of fighting were still in the future of Japan and the United States as the Americans and their allies made amphibious assaults on the Japanese…