Beppu Benten Pond, Blue Without a Filter
Cobalt water welling up beneath a shrine, an old man who appeared in a dream, and stones that turn red under the surface. At Beppu Benten Pond in Yamaguchi, geology makes the colour and Benzaiten collects the thanks.
Easy walk
Unrin-ji: A Meow-istic Trip
A Zen temple overrun with carved wooden cats, an otherworldly legend, and me standing in the middle, ready to meow with joy.
Hagi, the Calm Before Meiji
An old castle town on the Sea of Japan: empty lanes, white walls, and citrus in the samurai gardens, in the place where Japan tipped into the Meiji era.
Cinematic
Akiyoshidai: Lunar Landscape of Jagged Rocks
Perched at 300 meters in the mountains of Yamaguchi, the Akiyoshidai plateau presents a breathtaking karst landscape of towering limestone formations, majestic cliffs and expansive grassy plains.
Some hiking
Jinjo-ji: Ancient Shrine Lost in the Mountains
Deep in the Japanese countryside, you sometimes stumble on places that seem frozen in time. Jinjo-ji temple, in Shimonoseki, is clearly one of them.
Easy walk
Motonosumi Inari Shrine
Motonosumi Inari Shrine is located in western Japan, far from the rest of the world. The nearest city, 80 kilometres away, is Yamaguchi. Never heard of it?
Off the map
Desolated New Zealand Village
New Zealand Village is a place that is only suitable for a perfect weather, with nice breeze and a relaxed heart.
