Japanese Alpine Adventures

Rainy season in Japan is normally not the best time to explore the Japanese Alps. However we were lucky enough to have some dry and even sunny days. Great for us was also that there are some stunning trails that we could access with the kids that went beyond 2100m altitude. Amaya kept saying “I […]

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Shaking Shrines, “Amichari” and Japanese Lion King in Tokyo

Urban pleasures are very different to wilderness pleasures… Although we have a preference for the outdoors, we would not forgo the chance to experience the “Amichari”, watch the Lion King Musical in Japanese or observe traditional religious parades on the streets of this buzzing “megalopole”. We had just arrived in time for the celebration of the 5th […]

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Roadschooling and Organic Alternatives

We stayed 2 nights with Toyoma, one of only 3 organic farmers, that can produce tomatoes also during winter in Japan. A Hippie farmer, he called himself, as only 0.16% of all farmers produce organic food in Japan. On top he lives on a farm, a few meters away from a well known surfer beach, Ikumi beach, […]

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Samurai series!

For the last 3 weeks, Samurai’s and Ninja’s were the children’s favorite encounters and stories. And of course to dress up as one was even better! We read and listened to “Night of the Ninja – Magic Treehouse” as well as cut and pasted Samurai pictures. A museum in Kudoyama, the Wakayma castle as well as […]

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First impressions

The impressions of the first day(s) in another country are usually very strong and especially vivid. All senses are on full alert and I usually smell, taste, hear, see and even feel more intensive. Afterwards these feelings fade and everything appears more normal. Here are my impressions of arriving (once more) in Japan and what seems so familiar and […]

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Raining cats and dogs…or not

It had rained cats and dogs when we reached Kansai International Airport late at night (this is basically Osaka Airport on artificial Island 50km from Osaka city). This was bad news for us on the first day because neither Ragna nor me had rainjackets. Why did they not take rainjackets? I would also think while […]

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