The third — and likely final — video in my Japan travel series involves a how-to for Japanese train reservations. Why final? I’m getting out of Dodge soon, so I wanted to get one more helpful video beforehand. It’s also getting tiresome, innit? Anyway, the photo below shows a variety of train tickets acquired through […]
Tourism
Tokyo Rail Travel Hack
If you’re in the Tokyo area, and are carrying an IC card, I’ve got a Tokyo rail travel hack for you. (I mention Tokyo because I am most familiar with it. This hack may exist in other Japanese cities.) Firstly, if you’re not sure what an IC card is, I will help out. IC cards […]
Mexicana 2: Electric Boogalu
Speaking of phoenixes, it appears that Mexicana will be taking to the skies by Q4 of this year. Good thing I didn’t include them in this post. But before we get into the latest news, I have fond memories of flying with Mexicana, which was one of the world’s oldest carriers before it went belly-up […]
Architectural Tourism
Architectural tourism is one of my priorities when traveling. However, there are undoubtedly some controversies involved in how certain structures are maintained. One of the most controversial topics is façadism. In the simplest terms, façadism – also known as facadism – refers to when the front-facing exterior (façade) of a building is preserved. This is […]
Tokyo Weekend Trips: Nagano Prefecture
In this installment of No Work All Travel, I will be introducing a Tokyo weekend trip to Nagano prefecture. More specifically, a voyage to the castle city of Matsumoto, and Daio Wasabi Farm, in Hotaka. The first recorded instance of wasabi, sushi’s hot-headed colleague, dates back to the year 981, during the Heian period of […]
Phoenix to Tijuana Nonstop, Coming Soon
Starting in 2024: Phoenix to Tijuana, nonstop. For the first time in years, Tijuana is getting a flight to the United States. But if you guessed Aeromexico Connect, Volaris, or Viva Aerobus, you’d have to guess again; more on this later. On 15 February, American Airlines is taking up the helm. More specifically, SkyWest Airlines […]
Kurume Tonkotsu Ramen
In 2016, I visited the city of Kurume, Japan, located in the southwestern island of Kyushu. The city is notable for two major contributions to the Japanese economy: Bridgestone, the world’s largest tire and rubber company, and Kurume tonkotsu ramen, the “parent” of Hakata-style ramen. I guess that’s why the noodles were so chewy. Vocab […]
Trip Report: Japan Railways (JR) Seishun 18 Ticket
I’m writing today to tell you about another Japan Railways “rail pass,” in particular about my recent experiences using the Seishun 18 Ticket (青春18きっぷ). As for why there have been some Japan-related posts lately, well– I’ve been in Tokyo for a couple of weeks. What is the Seishun 18 Ticket? In short, the Seishun 18 […]