About

Japan has so much rail in its rural areas. Why is there so much and how do the trains continue to run?

A tour of Fukushima.

We started the journey a couple years ago, and after lots of ups and downs, we finally opened up our 3 unit hotel called Silver Daisy Stay Nikko.

Today we’d like to introduce you to a Japanese politician who was born and raised in Canada. His name is Jon Heese and he’s been a politician at the city and prefectural level in Ibaraki since 2008.

I set out to explore Yamagata, part of Japan’s snow country (雪国 yuki guni), with the goal of reaching the secret Japanese town with the highest snowfall.

We visit a tiny village, up in the northern mountains of Okayama prefecture, that has a 100 year sustainability plan.

I not only got the chance to experience a Noh performance in Osaka, but I was able to go behind the scenes and see how Japan’s oldest musical theatre is put together.

Once again we visit Kofu, Tottori, to see if the town really wants to see an increase in foreign visitors/residents, and if so, how it might all work out.

My Japanese sister-in-law Akko visits Canada for the first time in 16 years.

Today we’ll spend time at an old-school Japanese cafe, or kissaten, called Peepuru, which is the Japanese katakana-fied word for “People”. It’s been running for nearly 50 years now in downtown Okayama city by the friendly owner Ohkuma-san.