Two Very Different Experiences of the Same Country Japan changes dramatically depending on how you move through it. Most travelers experience Japan by train: efficient,…
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Across Tokyo to Shibuya Crossing
Put your headphones on and let’s ride: Tokyo east to west. White line. Engines. Stoplights. Trucks brushing past. Imperial Palace laps, then deeper into the…
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First-Time Japan Travel Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Japan is one of the easiest countries in the world to travel through—and one of the easiest to misunderstand. First-time visitors often arrive with a…
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Kyoto Crowds and Timing: How to Experience the City Without Losing Your Mind
Few cities reward patience as much as Kyoto—and few punish poor timing more ruthlessly. For many first-time visitors, Kyoto is imagined as a place of…
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Cycling Toward the Atlantic: A Bicycle Journey Through France
My new book, Cycling Toward the Atlantic: A Bicycle Journey Through France, is now available on Amazon. This is not a guidebook. There are no…
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Cycling the Nakasendō Today: Minokamo to Hashima, Reality Along the Kiso River
Some cycling days in Japan unfold quietly, following rivers through wooded valleys or slipping past villages barely awake. Others are defined less by scenery than…
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Temple-Hopping in Kyoto: Why You Shouldn’t Try to See Them All
With over 1,600 temples and countless shrines, Kyoto presents visitors with a paradox: abundance so great it can overwhelm. Guidebooks, itineraries, and social media feeds…
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Not Geishas — Kimono Culture and Everyday Performance in Kyoto
Walking through Kyoto, especially around temple districts like Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, or the Higashiyama slopes, you will almost certainly encounter young women dressed in elaborate kimono.…
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Cycling the Old Roads of Japan: From Tokyo to Kyoto and Back
Cycling the Old Roads of Japan — From Tokyo to Kyoto and Back Japan has long fascinated cyclists. Its reputation for safety, infrastructure, efficiency, and…
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Lookout Mountain vs. Mont Ventoux: Two Climbs, Two Worlds of Cycling
For cyclists, mountains are more than just roads carved into rock; they’re tests of grit, beauty, and sometimes survival. Two climbs that capture very different…
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