Bizarre Journeys

I can safely call the tiny island of Tokashiki as my happy place in Japan. When I say "tiny", I mean really tiny. You can walk between its main two centers, namely Aharen Beach and Tokashiki Beach in an hour.

If it was not for the promise of surrounding fall colors and an onsen only lit up with oil lamps, I would not find my way to the wonderful Aoni Onsen in Aomori and finally connect with the onsen experience. Aoni Onsen was like a scene from one of the novels of Tanazaki with its very traditional feel with each guest perfectly playing the part.

Planning a trip to Yakushima is very easy thanks to the abundance of the high quality websites focusing on the island and its hiking trails. Even a quick browse through those various sites is sufficient to ensure you that Yakushima is the right choice as the sense of attachment the page owners feel to this mystical island jumps out of almost every page of their websites.