Japan at My PaceAccessible Japan travel, one step at a time

旅 · Journal

The journal

Destination guides and planning notes, each with an effort rating. Effort is my honest sense of steps, slopes and distance, not a medical rating.

  1. 一Kumano · WakayamaWalking the Kumano Kodo after a stroke: what I packed and what I'd changeFive days, three grand shrines, a lot of stone steps and a couple of buses. An honest look at pacing an ancient pilgrimage two years after my stroke.Demanding
  2. 二All of JapanHeat and balance in Japan: a stroke survivor's cooling kitSince my stroke, my body doesn't handle heat the way it used to, and my balance isn't what it was. Here's the small kit and the simple rules I'd use to keep a hot day in Japan from going wrong.Gentle
  3. 三KyotoFushimi Inari at your own pace: stairs, rests, and turnaround pointsYou don't have to reach the summit to see the best of Fushimi Inari. Here's where the gates are densest, where to rest, and three good places to turn around.Moderate
  4. 四Hongu · KumanoRyokan and onsen at your own pace: our night in Yunomine OnsenA tiny hot-spring village in the Kumano hills, a private outdoor bath, and a long, slow dinner. What to know about ryokan etiquette, and what is and isn't easy if your body has limits.Gentle
  5. 五Hongu · Shingu · NachiKumano Sanzan by train and bus: Hongu, Hayatama, Nachi and KatsuuraYou can see all three grand shrines of Kumano without walking the whole trail. Here's how the pieces connect, and where the climbing actually is.Moderate
  6. 六OsakaOsaka Castle without the hard parts: an easier way throughOsaka Castle's grounds are huge, but the main tower is one of the most step-free castle visits in Japan. Here's the low-effort route.Gentle
  7. 七TokyoTokyo at a gentler pace: Meiji Jingu, Senso-ji and the East GardensOur first days in Japan, at cherry blossom time. Three classic Tokyo stops, how much walking each one really takes, and where to rest along the way.Gentle
  8. 八Kyoto · Tokyo · KumanoFilming Japan: the small camera kit I'd bring nowIn 2018 I filmed Japan on a Canon camera and our phones. Here's what that taught me, and the much lighter kit I'd pack for the next trip.Gentle
  9. 九Tokyo · AzabudaiteamLab Borderless: go early, take your time, and mind your footingWe spent New Year's morning 2020 inside teamLab's digital art museum, and it was one of the best parts of our Tokyo trip. Here's how to plan a visit to the new Azabudai Hills location at a comfortable pace.Gentle
  10. 十OsakaOsaka in two or three days: the castle, knife street, Dotonbori and a food hallOur 2018 Osaka days, rebuilt as an easy plan: a real look inside the castle, a whole street of kitchenware shops, neon shopping streets and a department-store basement worth a whole afternoon.Moderate
  11. 十一KyotoKyoto, gently: a tofu lunch, a kimono afternoon and the city from the tower at nightFour Kyoto stops from our 2018 trip that don't involve climbing a mountain, plus an honest note on the hostel where we slept.Moderate
  12. 十二Kumano · WakayamaWhere we slept on the Kumano Kodo: guesthouses, a private island bath and Nachi FallsOur Kumano Kodo nights, from a mountaintop guesthouse with clouds rolling by to an island hotel with a private bath right next to the sea.Moderate
  13. 十三Hakone · KanagawaHakone, the easy way: Yunessun's swimsuit baths and a night at Ten-yuOn our winter trip we skipped the hiking and spent our Hakone time soaking. A hot-spring theme park, a ryokan with a lit-up creek, and what to know about steps and swimsuits.Gentle
  14. 十四TokyoFour Tokyo neighborhoods at an easy pace: Shimokitazawa, Harajuku and Omotesando, Ebisu, and Yoyogi ParkVintage shops, architecture you can walk into, a noisy food alley and a park that changes completely by the hour. What I wrote about each, and when to go.Moderate
  15. 十五Tokyo & OsakaShopping in Japan: department stores, electronics, 100-yen shops and buying shoesFrom Isetan to Daiso, what I bought, where staff spoke English, the shoe-size thing nobody warns you about, and the new tax-free rules that start in November 2026.Gentle
  16. 十六All of JapanSmoking in Japanese restaurants: what's changed, and how to find smoke-free seatsOn our trips, cigarette smoke was the one thing that took the shine off some great meals. The rules are stricter now, but not everywhere. Here's how to avoid it.Gentle
  17. 十七Tokyo · UrayasuTokyo Disney Resort, practically: lines, restrooms, food and pacing a long dayWe spent Christmas Day 2019 at Tokyo Disneyland. It was clean, orderly and less expensive inside than I expected. Here's how to plan a park day that doesn't wear you out.Demanding
  18. 十八TokyoA men's grooming splurge in Tokyo: a luxury barber and a late-night foot massageOne of my favorite afternoons in Tokyo was spent in a barber's chair. And after 30,000-step days, a firm foot massage before bed. What to know before you book.Gentle
  19. 十九All of JapanJapan etiquette for first-timers: the communal sauce rule and other things I learnedDon't double-dip. Carry your trash. Coins go in the tray. A short, friendly guide to not standing out, from someone who learned some of it the hard way.Gentle
  20. 二十Tokyo, Kyoto & OsakaWhere we ate in Japan, and where I'd eat againA short, honest list from my own reviews: food alleys, a station highball, a department-store sweet shop, cake by a waterfall and a tofu lunch I still think about.Gentle
  21. 二十一All of JapanLook down: Japan's decorative manhole covers, and the free cards that go with themWalking slowly and watching my footing on the Kumano Kodo, I started noticing what was underfoot. Japan's manhole covers are a small, free, slow-travel treasure hunt.Gentle
  22. 二十二KyotoRenting a kimono in Japan: what we learned, and why I'd pay extra for silkWe rented kimono twice, on two different days in two different places. Here's how rentals work, what time and walking to expect, and the one lesson I'd pass on: pay extra for real silk.Gentle