Kobe city in Hyogo prefecture has long been one of my favourite Japanese cities. When I lived in nearby Osaka, it was a place I regularly took overseas visitors for a Kobe sightseeing day trip, because it was such a good contrast to Osaka and Nara. Back then, it was only six years after the 1995 …
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New Year’s Eve Travels – Episode 38 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast
The end of 2016 is fast approaching and on this episode of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast I thought it was a good time to talk about travelling at New Year's - as well as thinking about our travel resolutions for the year ahead. It's the first episode to feature Kim-Ling of Travel-Ling - I met …
The secret of Sakai City: off the beaten path in Kansai, Japan
One day soon it'll be a normal thing to suggest visiting Sakai City when you're passing through Osaka, but I'm getting in early to tell you: go to Sakai! Back when I lived in Osaka, I knew Sakai was south of the city and that's about all; I occasionally met people who worked there. Beyond that, I …