Off the map
Nagano with Friends: Onsen and Nakayoshi
We reach the end of our Nagano adventures, told in drawings by Sophie Dreamy: a manga café, a snowbound haikyo, and one last onsen with friends.
Easy walk
Sado Mine: The Mountain That Bleeds Gold
Off Niigata, the Sado gold mine: frozen tunnels, the industrial ruins of Kitazawa and the giant gash of Dōyū-no-wareto. A spectacular, uneasy UNESCO site.
Photogenic
Monet’s Pond: Where Waterlilies and Koi Live Together
Crystal-clear water, waterlilies and koi carp: dive into Monet's Pond, a hidden gem in the heart of Gifu Prefecture.
Vibrant
The Azalea Paradises of Yamanaka Castle
Each spring the ruins of Yamanaka Castle become a splendid canvas where azaleas paint a colorful landscape at dawn, blending floral beauty with echoes of a fascinating past.
Easy walk
Shirakoma Forest: Magical Moss Wonderland
A mystical virgin woodland with 500 moss species, ancient trees, and the legend of the White Horse Pond.
Haunting
Abandoned Smallpox Isolation Ward
Visit to an abandoned hospital for tuberculosis patients, cited as classic Japanese urbex.
Easy walk
Kanazawa Spring and Winter
A city of heritage and history, Kanazawa offers a charming stroll through the Japan of yesteryear. From sakura to snow, a guided tour in two stages.
Easy walk
Fujimori’s Tea houses In Nagano
Terunobu Fujimori is an architect and historian of architecture. He began his building career relatively late, in his early forties. Before that, he had forged a solid reputation as an academic.
Off the map
The Abandoned Marugen Mansion
Mad jaunt to the abandoned art warehouse of a real-estate magnate overtaken by greed.
