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Hi everyone, and welcome to Episode 93!
Sacred Shrines, Light-Filled Tunnels & Tsunami Alerts + Word of the Day
In this episode, I share info and scenes from recent trips to Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture.
Want to know how to save around 50% on your train fare from Nagoya to Ise-shi station and back? Take a closer look at Google Maps for options and find out more in this episode for the details.
I also managed to go to Echigo Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture where the art installations really took my breath away.
There was also a huge tsunami scare this week across Japan.
As always, there's a Word of the Day at the end of the episode too.
Thanks for tuning in! See you at the next one!
Links
Ise Shrine: https://www.isejingu.or.jp/en/
Echigo Tsumari: https://www.echigo-tsumari.jp/
Tunnel of Light: https://www.echigo-tsumari.jp/en/travelinformation/tunnel_of_light/
Matsudai Nohbutai Art Field: https://matsudai-nohbutai-fieldmuseum.jp/art/
Episode Highlights
Ise Shrine (伊勢神宮)
We went on a trip from Nagoya to Ise Shrine! A very easy day trip from here. Allow around 2-3 hours each way for transport and about 2-3 hours to see the shrine.
The rich 2,000-year history and breathtaking forest setting do not disappoint!
You went to Niigata? (新潟)
Yep! I also managed to squeeze in a trip to Niigata - a first time for me in the summer. Breathtaking views everywhere you go. Green hills and mountains everywhere, and some of the most pleasant roads I'd driven on in a while. Check out some highlights and more details below 👇
Echigo Tsumari Art Field (越後妻有アートフィールド)
First stop: The Echigo Tsumari Art Field in Tokamachi (Matsudai Nohbutai) to see the indoor and outdoor art exhibits. While there, we had some great local food at their all-you-can-eat buffet. Very healthy but beware of the deep-fried stuff - it's easy to overindulge! 😋
What about your daily grind?
Many of you know how much I love my freshly ground morning coffee. I too was worried about how I'd get my fix, but Bacha Coffee drip packs to the rescue!
Of course, I do prefer my freshly ground coffee. That EPEIOS grinder alone is reason enough to grind on the daily!
But these drip packs were pretty good! Not gonna complain!
I underestimated this Michi-no-Eki!
If you don't know what one of these is, when you see a sign saying 道の駅 (michi no eki) in Japan, make sure to stop and check out what they've got.
They're basically a roadside stop full of local produce and sometimes restaurants/cafes.
This one at Mitsumata had a full-blown restaurant inside and I had this great dish (cha-shu rice bowl) along with some iced coffee.
I really wasn't expecting to see such a selection of food, so it was a pleasant surprise ☺️
A columnar what?!
Next stop: The incredible Tunnel of Light at one of the Top 3 gorges in Japan - Kiyotsu Gorge!
This place was just out of this world. At first, I thought, OK... impressive gorge. Yep. But the deeper you go into the tunnels, the more you see.
About midway, there was a lookout positioned right across from a gigantic wall of what they call columnar jointing. I had never heard of this, so I looked it up. It's basically a geological feature that results from certain environmental occurrences.
Below, you can see a little video clip of the tunnel and the columnar jointing.
Before going to this spot, I thought it might be quite far away from base (Echigo Yuzawa Station) but it's only around 30 minutes away! And the scenery as you drive is absolutely stunning.
Tsunami warnings
On the morning of Wednesday, July 30, 2025, a massive earthquake of magnitude 8.8 struck off the coast of Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. The news said this was the largest earthquake recorded since the massive Tohoku earthquake that devastated Fukushima in 2011.
Just half an hour before receiving the loud alerts on my phone that morning I was on the beach at Sagami Bay recording a quick video to say good morning to everyone!
You can imagine the look on my face when I received the alerts telling me to immediately evacuate from the coast.
Fortunately, the forecast < 3-meter tsunamis were downgraded by the afternoon and there was no damage.