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.
Abashiri Prison: A How-To for Not Escaping
In the late 1800s, prisoners were sent to Abashiri to build their own jail and open up northern Japan with chains, picks and snow. Today it's a museum. The mood has stayed.
Alone at Dōgo Onsen: The Empty Bathhouse
One of Japan's oldest baths, in Matsuyama, with its Spirited Away looks. I got to stand inside the Dōgo Onsen Honkan alone during COVID, photographing a bath with no bathers.
Shōrinzan Daruma: The Market and the Flames
Every 6–7 January, Shōrinzan Daruma-ji in Takasaki holds its great daruma market — before returning the past year's wishes to the flames in the otakiage fire.
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.
Crisp
My Snowy Tokyo at Night
Discover the capital city in winter under a thick layer of snow ...
Easy walk
Magome for All Tastes
Discover the picturesque little village of Magome at all seasons. Whatever the weather, this place isn’t lacking in charm!
Luminous
Otsu: The Beach of Ice Jewels
Jewelry Ice is a completely unique phenomenon that can be observed on Otsu Beach, in the town of Toyokoro, Hokkaido. In winter, the Tokachi River, which flows near this fishing village, freezes under the region's extremely cold temperatures.
Haunting
The Snow Monsters of Mount Zao
It’s not an easy encounter. I’d already visited a few years ago, but a gathering storm made it impossible for me to approach these monsters and stroke their silken fur.
