1. The best way to stretch your yen Japan is Expensive. Or to be exact, it could be. So really, backpacking is the best way to stretch your budget. Instead of spending a substantial (a big word, I know) amount on a hotel room that you would spend just a few hours in, book … More [#HHWT] 10 Reasons That’ll Convince You to Backpack in Japan

I denied it when Tomi-san asked if I were a train otaku. “No, not otaku,” I said, probably a little too quickly, when we stopped for a photo on the rail track of the JR Furano Line in Biei, Hokkaido. “I just like them.” The word otaku scared the hell out me, mostly because of … More A train otaku in denial