It’s said that the Three Pillars of Zen are Teaching, Practice and Enlightenment. For Lao-tze, the Great Treasures as he called them,...

What we knew of Mt Aso was sketchy at best, but there was sufficient sun when we left Kurokawa that we were confident we’d get to see it...

The rain that began as we descended from the Shrine, followed us all the way to Kurokawa and Hostel Aso Base. Through the night it...

Pa and I enjoyed our stay in Beppu. How could we not. The mountains, the sea, the good food and friendly people, the leisurely walks. ...

Today is Kodomo - Children’s Day - the last of Golden Week’s four holidays. I’m thinking first and foremost of my children and my...

It’s early, just our tenth day and still much to see. But some impressions have been made. Japan, like the rest of the world has been...

Phil sent me a photo. I like it. I like it for the colors, and that I’m in the land of the Rising Sun. But mostly I like it because Phil...

We’re staying at the Guest House Rojiura. Nothing special, but it’s clean, the shower’s hot, and the price is right. It’s on a quiet...

Leaving the familiar, you take a left, then a right, because that’s where the river is, and the bridge, with its threshold to a different...