Hokkaido’s Winter Food to Enjoy during Snow Festivals
Winter in Hokkaido: an average of 26 degrees Fahrenheit and an annual average of 200 inches of snowfall. The northernmost of Japan’s four main islands is covered in a white … Read more
Overland Travel in Japan
Driving to Japan isn’t done by many overlanders, which is a missed opportunity. With an excellent infrastructure for independent travel, your overland vehicle will take you to corners and landscapes where trains and buses don’t go.
Japan is very safe to travel and finding places to pop your rooftop tent easy. Drive from the southern island of Kyushu to explore Japan’s origins and rich history to the busy and economically booming island of Honshu for big-city madness, to visit the Land Cruiser Factory, and remote-landscape charms in the north. The northernmost island of Hokkaido is an ultimate destination for a serious winter overland experience.
Enjoy the Best of Road Travel in Japan: Michi no Ekis (道の駅) – Road Stations
Would you like to visit Japan and focus on places and ways of life far away from the popular tourist destinations? The places where trains and buses don’t go? Rent … Read more
Food on the go in Japan – Bento Boxes, Origini, Noodles & More
Road travel is well developed in Japan. Whether on Expressways or on narrow, winding country roads, michi no ekis (road stations with farmer’s markets and parking lots where you can spend the … Read more
Driving in Japan in Winter
Every day is a journey, and the journey is home itself ~Bashō “Yes, your tires are here waiting for you, but there are only two.” This was odd because our … Read more
The Land Cruiser Factory in Japan & the Land Cruiser Community
Japan’s enthusiastic Land Cruiser community was dedicated to making our journey in their country memorable in every possible way. Their mission was successful. They managed to get us a tour … Read more
Winter in Japan – 10 Awesome Winter Activities in Hokkaido
There are lots of things to do in Hokkaido all year, but winter in Hokkaido is special: snow festivals, snow hikes, and wildlife viewing.
Books about Japan – Fiction, Memoirs and Non-Fiction Books
Non-fiction, Japanese literature, travel memoirs, guidebooks and other books on Japan will help you get started to prepare for your journey.
An Overland Trip to the Japan Rugby World Cup – Meet Mark & Sue
You like to do an overland trip, you want to visit the Japan Rugby World Cup, and you turn sixty. Why not combine all? Meet Mark & Sue.
How to Prepare your Overland Vehicle for Winter in Japan
Thick snow, icy roads, plummeting temperatures – overlanding in winter. How do you do it? Here are tips on how to prepare your overland vehicle for winter.
Japan Travel Budget Report – Expenditures of our Road Trip
Money matters, documentation, sightseeing, fuel and gas stations, car maintenance and more in our Japan Travel Budget Report.
Thank You Japan!
What a journey it has been! 9 months, 11 islands, 12,000 kilometers from Kyushu in the south to Hokkaido in the north. We kept you updated through our Where are … Read more
Why Overlanding in Japan is Fun, Easy, and Affordable
The driving, people, camping, paperwork, and infrastructure are among the reasons why overlanding in Japan is fun, easy, and affordable.
Japan Overland Travel Guide – Travel Information for your Road Trip
Travel information for your overland journey to Japan: budget, roads, gas stations, camping, and more in our Overland Travel Guide for Japan.
Accommodation & Overland Camping in Japan
Paid accommodation, staying with locals and where to go (wild) camping in Japan, including GPS waypoints.
From a Typhoon to Okhinohama Beach (Where Are We – Japan 11)
Chased from Japan’s inland by a 4-day typhoon, we return to the coast and camp at Okhinohama Beach, one of Japan’s most beautiful beaches.
Enjoying Summer on Shikoku (Where are We – Japan 10)
Summer on Shikoku? It has thus far been a good choice. Empty beaches and a wilderness camp in the forest along crystalline rivers.
Joining the Land Cruiser 40 Meeting East (Mount Fuji, Japan)
Finally it was happening, the Land cruiser 40 Meeting East, a major Land Cruiser aficionado event in Japan that is held annually in June. We had been thrown into Japan’s … Read more
Visiting the Land Cruiser Factory & Automobile Museum (Where Are We – Japan 9)
The Land Cruiser returned the factory where it was built in 1984: Toyota Auto Body, in Toyota City. Next, the Toyota Automobile Museum.
Hanami in Japan – The Celebration of Cherry Blossoms
What better announcement of spring is there than sakura – the cherry blossom season?
Watching a Glassblower in Japan at Work (Where Are We – Japan 8)
Peter Ivy is an American glassblower in Japan, running his own studio in Toyama. We were his guests and saw him work his art.
Admiring Wildlife in Hokkaido Winter (Where Are We – Japan 7)
Snow festivals are a good reason to visit Hokkaido, Japan in winter. However, we were charmed by so much wildlife – here is a photo essay.
The Sapporo Snow Festival on Hokkaido (Japan)
A great reason to visit Japan in winter: the snow festivals. Among the best known is he Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido.
Exploring Honshu Island & Replacing the Clutch (Where Are We – Japan 6)
As we weave our way through urbanized Honshu, we stop in Hiroshima, make new friends and kill the clutch in the middle of the highway.
Hiking on Yakushima Island (Where Are We – Japan 5)
Time to get out of the car and do some walking. Hiking on Yakushima Island, in south Japan and a UNESCO Biopshere Reserve.
Visiting Kyushu Island & Friendee Auto Workshop (Where are We – Japan 4)
The Land Cruiser returned to its country of birth, Japan, where on Kyushu Island we are spoiled by Friendee Auto Workshop.
Loving Kyushu Island & Our First Fender Bender (Where Are We – Japan 3)
November 29, 2016. We make new friends, admire hellish-looking ponds, and have our first car accident in 13 years on the road.
Joining the Land Cruisers Festa (Where Are We – Japan 2)
In Kyushu we joined the 19th Land Cruiser’s Festa near Mount Aso. Among so many BJ40s and BJ45s, our Land Cruiser was right at home.
A Visa Run to Tsushima Island (Where Are We – Japan 1)
How a quick visa run to Tsushima Island, Japan, turns into a 24-hour, challenging trip due to bad weather, until you meet that angel.
