Hi Reader Happy Friday! I just updated one of my most popular blog posts with new information and even more recommendations for traveling with oversized luggage on Japan's bullet trains (Shinkansen). People always ask: Do you need to purchase special oversized luggage seats for the Shinkansen (bullet train)? What if I just have carry-on-sized luggage? If so, how do you do it, and which seats are best to reserve? I get these questions often from people who are about to travel to Japan, which...

Hey Reader, Join me on a spring Japan trip to Aomori, Japan! This is the first of three videos in this series, and our first stop is in Hirosaki. 🍎 In this video, we’ll spend two days taking our time exploring the area's main tourist destinations, including the Neputa float museum, Hirosaki Apple Park, and Hirosaki Castle Park. Watch Video I filmed this video during the last week of April, right after peak cherry blossom season in Aomori. However, I was pleasantly surprised by just how many...

Hi Reader, This update is long overdue, since Japan has been my main focus for the past few years, and then I seemingly came back from a longer-than-expected summer hiatus, just to come back full force, posting California travel content. 😅 So, what's up with that? Long story short: I realized I wanted to broaden my travels to Japan, California, and beyond. Why? Because while I still think there's so much for me to learn about my Japanese heritage through travel, I also want to appreciate what...