Travel

Every year, thousands make the grueling hike for a view unlike any other atop Japan’s iconic Mt. Fuji. In 2020, this feat was one of many casualties of COVID-19, and for the first time in modern history, authorities closed access to Mt. Fuji’s four trails during the hiking season.

Exhilarating voices filled the air. Whether they succeeded in staying on floats or ended up falling into the ocean, I could see smiles on everyone’s faces.

In 2011, Kitashirakawa Batting Center in Kyoto, was closed for good, calling an end to its more than four decades of batting cage glory.

Although Kakazu Ridge is a quiet area where locals go to play mini-golf or let their children loose for playground time, this place was the site of deadly combat during the Battle of Okinawa.

You may not believe this, but I once saw a habu beat a mongoose in a cross-species duel when I was a kid. Back then, the death match between the venomous snake found on Okinawa and surrounding islands and the predator from India, was a famous attraction at Gyokusendo Park, now known as Okinawa World.

Whether you’re working from home, sheltering in place or just staying home, if you’re like us, you’re probably dreaming of open skies, sandy beaches, tall mountains, or perfect powdery slopes.