{"id":1705,"date":"2026-10-03T10:41:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T17:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/?page_id=1705"},"modified":"2026-10-11T06:40:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T13:40:45","slug":"japan-blog","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/japan-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan Travel Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-query is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"><ul class=\"wp-block-post-template is-layout-flow wp-block-post-template-is-layout-flow\"><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2349 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/26\/wading-through-the-henan\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1073-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Wading Through the Henan\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1073-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1073-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1073-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1073-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1073-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/26\/wading-through-the-henan\/\" target=\"_self\" >Wading Through the Henan<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">After over two weeks of busy sightseeing, we slowed our pace today to enjoy the relaxed Okinawan energy. This is intentional as we will ramp back up for South Korea in a few short days. We started our day with a relaxed breakfast and a brief walk on the beach to enjoy the morning sun.&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2289 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/25\/leftward-bound\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1035-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Leftward Bound\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1035-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1035-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1035-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1035-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1035-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1035-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/25\/leftward-bound\/\" target=\"_self\" >Leftward Bound<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">After the brief refresher on left hand driving last night, today was largely spent on the road in our rental car (which of course is a Toyota). After a Japanese breakfast (Jay really loves having miso soup every morning) we set off to visit the ruins of Nakagusuku Castle which helped us getting some morning&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2283 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/24\/birthplace-of-karate\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1019-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Birthplace of Karate\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1019-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1019-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1019-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1019-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1019-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_1019-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/24\/birthplace-of-karate\/\" target=\"_self\" >Birthplace of Karate<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Today we spent the full day exploring Naha, the capital city of Okinawa. The remnants of Typhoon Champi were apparent thanks to the 90% humidity, 85 degree heat and 25 mile an hour blustery winds (which actually felt quite nice given the humidity), but we feel very lucky that the Typhoon did not have a&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2225 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/23\/into-the-storm\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"495\" height=\"619\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ChampiImage.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Into the Storm\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ChampiImage.jpg 495w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ChampiImage-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/23\/into-the-storm\/\" target=\"_self\" >Into the Storm<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">The big news in Japan this year has been the number and severity of typhoons that have hit the island nation. As a result of the Super El Nino, the Pacific Ocean is far warmer than usual which has created the ideal conditions for these storms. Typhoons are functionally the same as hurricanes, the only&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2223 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/22\/prayer-for-peace\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1882\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0978-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Prayer for Peace\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0978-scaled.jpeg 1882w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0978-221x300.jpeg 221w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0978-753x1024.jpeg 753w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0978-768x1045.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0978-1129x1536.jpeg 1129w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0978-1506x2048.jpeg 1506w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1882px) 100vw, 1882px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/22\/prayer-for-peace\/\" target=\"_self\" >Prayer for Peace<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">This morning we rode our final Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto to Hiroshima. We are constantly amazed with how smooth the ride is as we fly across the countryside at nearly 200 miles per hour. With only one day to explore Hiroshima and the surrounding area, we dropped our bags at a local luggage storage&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2141 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/21\/monkey-business\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0945-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Monkey Business\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0945-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0945-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0945-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0945-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0945-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/21\/monkey-business\/\" target=\"_self\" >Monkey Business<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">For our time in Kyoto we decided to divide the city in half between East and West. Since day one focused on the Eastside we hopped on a bus headed West this morning with our first stop being the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. This bamboo forest is one of the most popular sites in the city&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2136 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/20\/the-city-of-ten-thousand-temples-and-shrines\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2430\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0915-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"The City of Ten Thousand Temples and Shrines\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0915-scaled.jpeg 2430w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0915-285x300.jpeg 285w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0915-972x1024.jpeg 972w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0915-768x809.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0915-1458x1536.jpeg 1458w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0915-1944x2048.jpeg 1944w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2430px) 100vw, 2430px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/20\/the-city-of-ten-thousand-temples-and-shrines\/\" target=\"_self\" >The City of Ten Thousand Temples and Shrines<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Today was our first full day in Kyoto and we realized why the City is nicknamed the &#8220;City of 10,000 Shrines&#8221;. Ranging from world renowned, large complexes that see millions of visitors a year to small neighborhood expressions in a back alley (both equally beautiful), the City has an enormous diversity of religious sites. Kyoto&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2063 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/19\/hurry-up-and-wait\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5819-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Hurry Up and Wait\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5819-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5819-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5819-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5819-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5819-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5819-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/19\/hurry-up-and-wait\/\" target=\"_self\" >Hurry Up and Wait<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Having completed our three day hike on the Nakasendo Route we were afforded a leisurely morning featuring a delicious Japanese style breakfast complete with miso soup, seared salmon, local vegetables and much more. Most tourists visit Narai as a day trip from a larger city like Nagano so in the morning we had the town&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2044 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/18\/small-world\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2175\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0845-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Small World\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0845-scaled.jpeg 2175w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0845-255x300.jpeg 255w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0845-870x1024.jpeg 870w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0845-768x904.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0845-1305x1536.jpeg 1305w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0845-1740x2048.jpeg 1740w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2175px) 100vw, 2175px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/18\/small-world\/\" target=\"_self\" >Small World<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Today marked the last day of our 3-day backpacking adventure on the Nakasendo Trail. After breakfast at our onsen, we explored the post town of Kiso-Fukushima. In the age of Edo period, Kiso-Fukushima served as one of the major checkpoints along the Nakasendo Route, sitting at the halfway point between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo). Checkpoints&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-2014 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/17\/a-path-less-traveled\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5777-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"A Path Less Traveled\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5777-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5777-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5777-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5777-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5777-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_5777-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/17\/a-path-less-traveled\/\" target=\"_self\" >A Path Less Traveled<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">We enjoyed a leisurely morning and delicious breakfast at our onsen before heading back out onto the Nakasendo Trail. The hospitality we received continued to be second to none as the owner personally drove us to the start of the day&#8217;s hike. Along the way we got to learn more about him and his family&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-1920 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/16\/back-in-time\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0754-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Back in Time\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0754-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0754-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0754-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0754-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0754-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/16\/back-in-time\/\" target=\"_self\" >Back in Time<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">After a quick night&#8217;s sleep in our pods, we started our day on Japan&#8217;s famous Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya. The Shinkansen travels at a maximum speed of nearly 200 miles per hour and although we took one of these bullet trains to Nikko a few days ago, the route we took today is one&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-1871 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/15\/breaking-communication-barriers\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2136\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0692-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Breaking Communication Barriers\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0692-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0692-300x250.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0692-1024x855.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0692-768x641.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0692-1536x1282.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0692-2048x1709.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/15\/breaking-communication-barriers\/\" target=\"_self\" >Breaking Communication Barriers<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Our final full day in Tokyo started with preparing for the next phase of our journey by forwarding our rolling suitcases onto our apartment in Kyoto. We certainly didn&#8217;t want to carry all of our luggage on the Nakasendo Trail! Thankfully there is a nationwide luggage transportation system that makes it very easy to send&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-1868 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/14\/over-the-river-and-through-the-woods\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0633-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Over The River and Through The Woods\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0633-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0633-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0633-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0633-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0633-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0633-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/14\/over-the-river-and-through-the-woods\/\" target=\"_self\" >Over The River and Through The Woods<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Today we enjoyed a day trip to the mountain town of Nikko &#8211; around two hours north of Tokyo by train. Today was our first experience with the highspeed trains Japan is so famous for and we enjoyed watching the countryside and towns whizz by. Conduct on the train matched a consistent theme evident on&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-1783 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/13\/from-sea-to-table\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0601-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"From Sea to Table\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0601-scaled.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0601-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0601-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0601-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0601-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/13\/from-sea-to-table\/\" target=\"_self\" >From Sea to Table<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Today felt like waking up to go fishing in Canada &#8211; the alarm clock went off well before sunrise and within a couple of hours the smell of fish had filled the air. This time, however, the fish had been caught the day prior. Our morning began by catching the second train out of our&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-1741 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/12\/amongst-the-hustle-and-bustle\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0586-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Amongst the Hustle and Bustle\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0586-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0586-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0586-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0586-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0586-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0586-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/12\/amongst-the-hustle-and-bustle\/\" target=\"_self\" >Amongst the Hustle and Bustle<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">It is hard to believe we have only been in Tokyo for a little over 24 hours. With Japan being 16 hours ahead of Seattle, we fought the time change and were able to get some sleep, still waking up at about 6 a.m. (2 p.m. Seattle-time). We started our day in Shibuya, one of&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-1730 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-japan\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/11\/konnichiwa-nihon\/\" target=\"_self\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0537-scaled.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Konnichiwa Nihon!\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0537-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0537-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0537-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0537-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0537-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0537-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/11\/konnichiwa-nihon\/\" target=\"_self\" >Konnichiwa Nihon!<\/a><\/h2>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-excerpt__excerpt\">Thank you to everyone joining us in another one of our adventures! We are so excited to share our experiences with you. Today we completed our second trip across the international dateline this year as we flew over the Bearing Sea on our way to Japan, complete with a snack of &#8220;Udon of the Sky&#8221;!&hellip; <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","iawp_total_views":88,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1705","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1705"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1740,"href":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1705\/revisions\/1740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beyond-the-maps.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}