How many of you have actually heard of the region “Hanshin-Kita”? Being a self-professed Japan addict who has traversed many grounds off the beaten path of all 47 prefectures, I am ashamed to admit that it too, missed my radar.

Please bear with me for a second to get the semantics out of the way: the word “Hanshin” (阪神), is taken from the second word from Osaka (大阪) and the first kanji from Kobe (神戸), and in “onyomi” (okay let’s not get there today) pronunciation it makes the word “Hanshin”. The world generally refers to Osaka, Kobe and the surrounding areas in between these two cities in Kansai.

“Hanshin-Kita” is the northern part of this region, divided into five subsections, all of which are located in Hyogo Prefecture. Given its proximity to the tourist hub Osaka rather than Hyogo’s capital Kobe, many may have mistakenly assumed that it is part of Osaka Prefecture.

The five subsections are: Takarazuka City, Itami City, Inagawa Town, Kawanishi City and Sanda City. We have already covered the attractions of Takarazuka City and Itami City in earlier articles, today let’s take a dive into the other three under-appreciated spots and find out what they have to offer.

Inagawa Town

Inagawa Town is so off the mainstream tourist radar you can barely find any information on the internet, but that doesn’t mean it lacks any allures. In fact, I found some of my favorite hidden gems here, and first, let’s visit Seishikan, a registered National Tangible Cultural Property.

Seishikan in Inagawa Town.

This former Tomita Family Residence, now a town-owned property, is built by the wealthy merchant Kumasaku Tomita in 1932.  Breathing an air of yesteryear nostalgia, you can find several curious warehouses built for various purposes–A “himuro” that serves as natural refrigerator, and another five more for firewoods, charcoal, miso, farming tools and even an entire kura for apparels!

How yesteryear’s kitchen looks like.

The original bathtub. Looks like a scene out of an anime!

One of the best ways to appreciate Seishikan is to take a quick hike up the hilltop where you can get a bird’s-eye view of the layout of the entire residence, especially its impressive thatched-roof that is extremely laborious to built.

Be rewarded with this view if you bother hiking just 3 minute up a small hill.

The second treasure I am very pleased to have discovered is “Irori Chaya Sato no Ie“, a 350-year-old former samurai residence turned restaurant that is brimming with old world charm.

Irori Chaya Sato no Ie, Inagawa Town.

The owners welcomed us with warm tea by the irori (Japanese-style hearth), one of my favorite things in Japan especially during winter time! Relax yourself into the warmth of firewoods and more so, of the hosts, who are eager to show off their hospitality by bringing you a delicious “botan nabe“–wild boar hot pot and other local cuisine.

Nothing beats sitting around the irori on a cold winter day with such a feast spread in front of you.

Although looking extremely fatty, the roast boar belly was supremely tasty without overly cloying your tastebuds. It was well worth the visit in my experience.

If you prefer something light, and since Inagawa Town is an excellent producer of buckwheat, do swing by “Soba no Yagata“, a roadside station and restaurant to savour a piping bowl of homemade “jyuwari soba” (soba made of 100% buckwheat flour).

My “niku soba”. Japan: a place where expectation and reality match.

A soba vending machine so anyone can have a fill of the delicious noodles outside of operating hours.

“Inabo”, a wild boar and mascot of Inagawa Town.

Kawanishi City

The second city we will explore is Kawanishi City, another suburb locale that hardly makes it to international tourists’ itinerary.

We visited Kurokawa Community Center, a former elementary school constructed back in the Meiji Period but was forced to close 50 years ago due to depopulation. Half a century later, they still never manage to welcome any new students. Instead the hall serves as a space for visitors to enter a realm of nostalgia from a distant past…

Corridor of former Kurokawa Elementary School just as it was back in the days.

Relishing the Japanese school atmosphere.

Tada Shrine is another attraction in the neighborhood, which in itself has lots of stories to tell.

Tada Shrine, Kawanishi City.

Lest I delve too deep into the endless rabbit hole, know that this historic shrine founded in 970 by shogun Minamoto no Mitsunaka is one of the Three Genji Shrines with a close tie to Seiwa Genji, a line of the legendary Minamoto clan that is descended from Emperor Seiwa. Five commanders of the samurai warriors of the Genji family are enshrined here.

Many of the progenies who claimed descent from this lineage would then go on to make some of the greatest warriors in Japanese history, including Minamoto no Yorimoto (founder of the Kamakura shogunate), Ashikaga Takauji (founder of the Ashikaga shogunate) and later on, Tokugawa Ieyasu (founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate). If you read Japanese, you can find a signboard of a family tree of the Seiwa Genji at the back of the shrine.

A lucky frog and the mausoleum of Minamoto no Mitsunaka.

Other allures in the city include Myoken Forest, which is said to be ultra gorgeous in autumn time, and the Kurokawa Cherry Forest where the endangered wild Edo Higan blooms elegantly in spring.

Sanda City

Lots of tantalizing gourmet experiences are waiting for you to discover in Sanda City, and if I must choose one, it has to be Sanda Beef. When it comes to voluptuously marbled beef, Hyogo Prefecture is never short of internationally recognized contenders. Many of you may have already had the chance to savor the eternally popular Kobe Beef and Tajima Beef. However, Sanda Beef which is proudly produced by the locals in Sanda City remains humbly unknown despite its supreme quality.

Drop by Aiya, a farm-to-table restaurant which is owned by the same butcher and rancher, ensuring the finest quality at an affordable price. Now you know the secret to enjoying premium beef that’s wallet-friendly!

Mouth-watering Sanda steak on a hot stone grill.

Finally before you leave, do drop by Any Many, an old kimono shop turned stylish bakery (and yakitori bar at night) to grab some homemade pastries for your train ride to your next adventure.

“Any Many”, Sanda City.

A gallery-like display of the pastries. (Yes, they are real!)

Often missed off popular itineraries in favor of bustling Osaka and Kobe, Hanshin-Kita is a treasure trove of untouched gems. I assure you that the region has many surprising treats in store for those that do decide to stop by.

When you type the phrase “Itami City” into Google and hit search, the first few pages that turn up are all flight and hotel booking information.

That’s right, very few know Itami more than just it being home to an airport and a pit stop between transits, while having the limelight stolen by the world-recognized Kansai International Airport nearby. To add to its agony, despite the name “Osaka International Airport (Itami)”, the airport is neither international (in present days), nor located in Osaka. Right now it serves only domestic flights, and is technically situated in Hyogo Prefecture.

All these confusions have left Itami shrouded in the unknown, and it is no wonder the historical city does not get the love it deserves when it comes to sightseeing attention.

So why bother taking the extra time to explore the city? Well, as a Japan-addict favoring the lesser known allures over mainstream tourist spots, here I am to assure you that Itami is one of those off the beaten path destinations that has lots of surprises awaiting, for you making the extra effort to get to know it deeper.

Alright, let’s start digging in.

Dazzling, unapologetically flamboyant, aspirational. I marveled at the unusual atmosphere of Takarazuka City, atypical of the modern urbanscapes you often witness in Japan.

A drove of exultant ladies of preened attires walked side by side down the “Hana-no-Michi” (Flower Street), beaming with excitement.

Oh, that’s right. They must have just had a fantastic time over at Takarazuka Revue.

Takarazuka Revue

If you haven’t already heard, Takarazuka Revue is the limelight, the center piece of Takarazuka City of Hyogo Prefecture. It is one of the few all-female theater troupes in the world, where women play the roles of both genders, putting together an entertaining, melodramatic show of elaborated dance choreography, enchanting singing in the most lavish costumes. Think of it as Japan’s own version of Broadway musical.

Takarazuka’s elegant vibes.

Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture has long been a well-loved mountain resort town with mild summer climate, given its easy access barely 1-hour away from Tokyo if you hop on the shinkansen.

It is especially popular as a destination for summer vacation for both domestic and international travelers with its cool temperature. However, winter is often a skipped season as ski and snowboard enthusiasts often just make a beeline to more famous ski resorts like Hakuba and Shiga Kogen in the same prefecture. If you are looking to spend a more relaxed, slow-paced holiday away from the crowd in your own privacy, I have just the right spot for you.

Asama Kuzanbo, Kita-Karuizawa

Located 45-min away drive away from Karuizawa Station, Asama Kuzanbo is an all-suite luxurious villa resort tucked in the untouched nature of Kita-Karuizawa.

Japan has finally opened its door for international tourists after almost 3 years, and right here in Tokyo, things has resumed back to pretty much pre-pandemic, where Shibuya Scramble Crossing is as overwhelming as you see in manga, and I can hear familiar accents again at Shinkansen platforms.

It is honestly quite a bittersweet feeling, to have such relief and comfort knowing that friends and family who miss Japan can finally come back for their painfully long-waited vacation, but at the same time I’m also mourning the loss of having an empty Fushimi Inari Taisha all to myself.

(By the way this is Harajuku on New Year eve.)

Well, I’d rather share Japan with everyone! 😀

If you are sorely missing Japan too but for some reason cannot yet come back physically for travels, here’s something to sooth your aching soul.

Salmon skin as shoes, seal fur as heat-tech jacket.

Staring at the artifacts displayed in front of me, I marveled at this curious culture that I had never imagined exist in Japan.

2022, Upopoy National Ainu Museum

That was back in 2010, my first ever time visiting Hokkaido, and also the first time I was brought to a small Ainu museum called the Pirka Kotan by my host family in Sapporo. Back then, I barely understood the Japanese language, let alone to fully comprehend such a deep, indigenous culture.

10 years later, Upopoy, the National Ainu Museum and Park–also the first ever national museum to be opened in Hokkaido–was officially established in Shiraoi Town as a symbolic space for ethnic harmony in Japan. Never did I expect the Ainu culture to have been revived so extensively in a decade.

Wakayama Prefecture was one of my least travelled prefectures.

While many are familiar with the travel brochure cliches of Osaka, Kyoto and Nara; Wakayama, actually also a prefecture in the Kansai Region remains under the radar of mainstream tourists.

Today, I will be introducing various attractions of this spectacularly underrated prefecture for those who are craving for an authentic experience that’s off the classic tourist-filled golden route.

(4000 words. Please pour yourself a cup of tea and some kokusan cookies.)

To detail the entire chronicle of my Yamabushi training at the Dewa Sanzan in Yamagata Prefecture, I probably need to write another book.

But today I will try to make a blog post out of it, for I think that what the holy mountains up in the north of mainland Japan can offer could be a life-transforming experience for many, especially city dwellers of today’s affluent societies who have much of the freedom, but lost. Like I was. Of course, it is also because I have gone so deep into Japan I feel that I am just starting to uncover a hidden treasure trove full of ancient magic. I want to share it with us all, as I always do.

First of all, the burning question for many is, what is Yamabushi? And why did I decide to sign up for something that sounds like nothing but an ordeal?

Dear blog, happy 18th birthday.

You are an adult now. You are free to… do whatever you want. Like, for real.

Last week, I have decided to make one last trip back to Kyoto before the international crowd returns. While I usually favor visiting low-key remote locales that are still under the radar of mainstream tourism, the pandemic has given me a fortunate once-in-a-lifetime chance to see one of the most popular prefectures in Japan in a new light.

The theme for my trip was to bask in all the energy of Kyoto’s “power spots” – a term used in Japan to refer to a particular area where one can feel in tuned with nature and take in all its spiritual energy, whether for healing, for blessing and good fortune, or simply to refresh your body and mind. I considered it a mini pilgrimage in line with my recent walk on the spiritual path.

While it is near impossible to come up with a “finest selection” given Kyoto’s impressive concentration of countless distinguished temples and shrines, I have compiled a total of 8 attractions which I logically think and intuitively feel are some of the most powerful spiritual sites in Kyoto. To be completely honest: I am never someone with very strong spiritual sensitivity like… stare at blank space WHOA *chakra activated*… But I had a pressing urge to share this with those of you who chose to read this. Hopefully the next time you come back, the list would be helpful for you to rejuvenate and bring home something precious with you.

 Here goes.

The dream which I woke up upon

This post is going to sound a bit strange.

Today I am dipping my toes into the realm of spirituality, but it is not about zen temples, sacred shrines or hidden power spots. It is something… beyond. Or actually, within.