Japan’s tourist crowds in spring 2024
Japan is seeing record numbers of foreign tourists ever since Japan fully reopened to overseas tourists in Oct. 2022. The pent-up demand for Japan together with the favorable currency exchange…
Origin of Hyogo prefectural name
HYOGO – Military Storehouse 兵庫県 Not much is known about how and why the “Hyogo” name came about. There’s only speculation and a few theories. Theory 1: During the Taika…
Cruise ship ports in Japan
Overview of Japan’s cruise ship ports. Being a stretched-out archipelago with a long coastline (34,600 km or 21,500 mi.) and hundreds of inhabited islands, Japan has many sea ports and…
Port of Kobe (神戸港)
Historic port and Western Japan’s most popular cruise ship departure port.by Philbert Ono, Updated: Feb. 3, 2023 Port of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture (western Japan or Kansai Region) is one…
Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork, Toyooka
Toyooka is a rural city in northern Hyogo, off the beaten path from Kobe and Himeji in southern Hyogo. The city’s famous symbol seen everywhere in town is the Oriental…
Visit to Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture
In Oct. 2018, I visited Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture for the first time. Famous for the Oriental white stork, Toyooka turned out to be a great tourist town with lots to…