Hello travellers! If you are planning to travel to the Kansai region soon, this post is for you.

As many of you might be aware, there have been announcements of a massive price hike all types of Japan Rail Passes, which have caused many keen tourists to have second thoughts about booking their flights to Japan, given airfares nowadays are not exactly the most affordable either.

Although I think that international travelers are still enjoying huge benefits in saving if they properly utilize their now more-expensive-passes compared to us residents here who could not even get our hands on those delicious discounts, I do want to give an alternative if you are looking for something else, especially when you are bored of the usual (and now very, very crowded) Kyoto and Osaka. read more

I didn’t expect to be back to Mie and writing about Mie again so soon! (To think that my very post below is exactly Mie… either the prefecture loves me too much or I am obsessed with it, or both, at this rate I’d like to think it’s deep mutual affection.)

Although many of the destinations I feature in this post are repeated attractions I have visited several times in Mie prefecture before, it is always a pleasure to be back again, meeting the same people at a different time, feeling a different vibe in a different season, experiencing a brand new journey altogether. It’s something I don’t mind doing over and over again. read more

Mie Prefecture’s tagline is “Once in your lifetime“. I thought one’s experience with Mie couldn’t be more aptly described and summarized in that one very line.

As you already know, Ise Jingu is Japan’s most sacred shrine since ancient time and it was every Japanese’s wish to make a pilgrimage to at least once in their life time. Before I visited Mie Prefecture, all I knew about Mie was Ise Jingu and Matsusaka beef. In fact that was exactly what I went for the first time I stepped foot on this beautiful land tucked in between Osaka and Nagoya. And the first time left me hooked forever. These two attractions alone are enough to justify a once-in-your-lifetime visit to Mie. read more

Read my Day 1 blog post here about abalone feast at Shima Peninsula.

Read my Day 2 blog post here about divine Ise and Matsusaka beef.

Read my Day 3 blog post here about Iga ninja and Iga beef sukiyaki

Today we are onto the last day of my #visitmie trip. I spend 4 good full days in one single prefecture and yet there are still lots of places I have not covered. #Ineedmorelifetimes.

Today we will be venturing into the very exciting Kuwana city to explore a beautiful botanical park, and some of the world’s top thrill rides that will guarantee to give your heart some good kicks. read more

Read my Day 1 blog post here about abalone feast at Shima Peninsula.

Read my Day 2 blog post here about divine Ise and Matsusaka beef.

It wasn’t until day 3 that I have come to realized that Mie is really blessed with everything. How long can you stay in Mie until you get bored? The answer is… until you get sick of eating good food.

Read my Day 1 blog post here about abalone feast at Shima Peninsula.

Mie Prefecture is blessed with the abundance of both treasures from the ocean and land. In my previous post we have had (actually just me, but it could soon be your experience if you allow yourself to! Hehe.) glorious abalone and other assorted seafood in the Shima region, today I’m bringing you to explore the crème de la crème of beef – Matsusaka from its namesake city.

But first, let’s pick up where we left in the previous post and start with a great lookout point in Shima region. read more

I’m sure you already knew about my #47PrefectureMission and that I have completed this life mission early June this year.

I visited Mie in 2016 for two things:

1.Ise Jingu Shrine
2. Matsuzaka Beef

The two things that Mie is probably most famous for. And these two things alone warrant a visit to Mie. This time around, I’m on a new mission – to go deep. Real deep. For all 47 prefectures. All over again.

I am a proud #VisitMieSupporter of 2019.

We Malaysians and Singaporeans love food. So in this series of blog posts, I’m bringing you on a journey with me to Mie, the paradise of world class gourmet all condensed in one single prefecture. read more

Okay, honestly? This post is going to be  a little overwhelmingly lengthy, because I will be introducing 3 different passes from three different railway companies for those of you who intend to travel to the Kansai area of Japan.

But stay with me here and I hope it will be a worthwhile read for you to make the best out of your next Japan trip!

In this blog post, we are focusing on the Kansai area of West Japan. While I believe all of you are familiar with the classic route to conquer Osaka, Kyoto and Nara, there’s so much more to explore within the Kansai region with just a couple of train rides. read more

During our 3 week’s stay in Osaka, the danna asked if I had any request to travel anywhere within the Kansai region, since we hardly come to this part of Japan. It had to be a day trip because we have booked our accommodation in Osaka throughout the stay.

I thought about it and I said, ALL!!!!! Mie, Shiga, Wakayama, in addition to the prefectures I have visited (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo) to complete the whole region. But that’s not really possible, given the tight schedule. In the end I have decided that if there’s one place I’d like to visit, it has to be Ise Jingu, which is said to be the most sacred shrine in the entire Japan. read more