It had taken nearly seven hours but we made it. The first express train took us from Abashiri on Hokkaido’s far northern coast through five hours of its national park-like interior of forests and plains, or at least that’s what…

It had taken nearly seven hours but we made it. The first express train took us from Abashiri on Hokkaido’s far northern coast through five hours of its national park-like interior of forests and plains, or at least that’s what…
We began this year with a trip to a place I’d never thought my sub-tropical wife would willingly visit in the dead of winter: Hokkaido. Hokkaido is Japan’s northernmost main island; its last domestic frontier. Previously known as Ezo, Japan…
We’re coming upon August, when Japanese people move as one to enjoy the sights of the country in the five minutes of vacation time they have each year. This means crowded roads leading to even more tourist-infested destinations full of…