^{I’m back home with a suite of new travel stories and experiences to share from a glorious three weeks enjoying the main Honshu island of Japan and its magnificent golden autumn! We explored ancient Samurai battlefields, cruised old Edo city waterways in a little wooden boat, and visited an wasabi farm where I indulged in freshly grated wasabi with ice-cream at the world’s largest commercial wasabi farm!}

^{We enjoyed seaside sunsets, quiet fishing villages and mountain samurai post stations. And I managed to climb up and down a lot of old stone steps to see a famous waterfall! Oh, my damaged knee! But it was worth it.}

^{Each time I go to Japan, I think that I can’t possibly better the previous trip. We’ve had some amazing holidays there over the last twenty plus years. But a concerted effort with research and a determination to find more hidden treasures in Japan continues to pay off. And we continue to encounter interesting local people who add to our journey. This trip was a success.}

^{The people we meet are always high points for us. We stopped off between trains at Kyoto station on this trip for lunch with two local women – Kyoko and Hiromi – we met back in 2019 and who have become good friends. A wonderful reunion.}

^{Unexpected encounters also impacted on our trip. Like the man who collects and restores genuine old samurai uniforms and armoury for his tiny museum. Or the motor bike rider who approached us for a friendly chat at a roadside station.}

^{Then there was the very elderly lady who chatted endlessly to me, presuming I could speak the language after I greeted her with 𝑂ℎ𝑎𝑦ō𝑔𝑜𝑧𝑎𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑠 (GOOD MORNING). I nodded and smiled a lot, with no idea what she was saying. And yet it was a warm lovely encounter I will always remember.}

^{This encounter happened early one day in a remote village where we stayed for a few days. In the village, we also lucked in on the culinary talents of a young Chef raised there, who has returned home to produce some magic in the kitchen.}

^{In another food adventure, we finally got to enjoy Hiroshima’s famous Okonomikyaki – a savoury pancake cooked on a hot griddle with layers of cabbage, pork, noodles, and egg. Sounds messy, but it’s delicious!}

^{Not to forget coffee. I’m a latte lady, and in Japan you get many different versions of lattes. Some good, some not even distantly related to latte! Wait till I tell you about the coffee pot and the milk pot both streaming hot liquid together from very high down into my cup in a breakfast performance I will never forget! Not a drop spilt or splattered.}

^{It happened in Matsumoto, a place we find ourselves returning to. I was concerned on this trip that we might already have seen all there was to see – its fabulous museums, its beautiful castle, its great cafe/restaurant food scene and its wonderful 300 old miso brewery. But no – wandering the back streets we came across an old 1917 movie theatre. You wouldn’t recognise the building from how it once was. Horrible renovations and other building uses over the years have ruined its beauty. But we stumbled across some locals who are determined to breathe life into the old theatre again. We got to see inside ‘behind the scenes’ and hear about what they hope to achieve!}

^{There was also an 1800’s French Catholic priests rectory we explored. And we shuffled in Japanese slippers along ancient wooden floors of a nearby 1800’s elementary school that introduced an innovative curriculum to turn Japan away from its traditional Buddhist education systems.}

^{Another return visit was to Kiso Fukushima in the Kiso Valley where we met a lovely women who is the 17th generation of a prominent Samurai family to live in her home. She runs a private museum next to the house that holds the family’s heirlooms and artefacts. It was unique and interesting and we were the only people there!}

^{On a few occasions we were amazed to find ourselves in empty or near empty rail carriages. Possibly this was due to us paying extra for the Japan Railways green car or the fact that we travel generally away from tourist hot spots.}

^{Finally – we discovered NAGOYA! A city we have previously neglected despite passing through many times, and have often changed trains there. A campaign this year – NAGOYA IS NOT BORING – persuaded me to book four nights there. Turned out we could have spent more time there – Nagoya is definitely not boring! It has an energetic vibe, offers lots to do, and is a great base for seeing other places on day trips.}

^{Our journeys are well informed by fellow travel bloggers. Reading travel blogs are part of my research tool box. I’ve followed up on a lot of good ideas from them. In particular, a blogger from Hawaii, well travelled in Japan, has introduced me to places I might never have found myself. Thank you Derick from Peregrinating Monk. I’m also in contact with Canadian blogger Anthony from Todaysperfectmoment. He and his girlfriend were touring Japan at the same time as us this time. We followed each other’s journeys on Instagram, messaged, but didn’t manage to be in the same place at the same time. Next time perhaps! Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to hearing about his latest Japan discoveries.}

^{Finally: a very Happy Christmas and New Year to you all. Warm summer days are ahead here in Australia. I’ll get down to writing much more about this latest trip to Japan in the coming months. In the meantime, you will find some photos from our trip on my Instagram – Aussieboomer1}