Outland Japan

Send us Fan Mail This is a short announcement that Outland Japan continues to be on a break. Outland Japan has been running for over two years now, the most recent episode being Episode 50. I very much enjoy making the podcast but it takes quite a bit of time and effort - something I need to balance with work, family and other commitments. Looking forward I can see that that balance is going to be...

Send us Fan Mail With the podcast on a break between Season 4 and Season 5, I am republishing another of my travel guides – in this case, my guide to Kamikochi . Open to the public from mid-April to mid-November, Kamikochi is an alpine valley located within Japan’s highest mountain range, the Hida Mountains or “North Alps”. Bookended by Hotakadake in the north – Japan’s third tallest mountain – an...

Send us Fan Mail The podcast is currently on a break between Season 4 and Season 5. As promised, during this period I’ll be uploading two previous episodes starting with my travel guide to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route . Open to the public from mid-April until the end of November, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route traverses Japan’s highest mountain range – the Hida mountains or North Alps – from...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 50 of the podcast I speak with Marcus Consolini, owner and general manager of Daimon Shuzo - a 200 year old sake brewery in Osaka - and board member of the Minka Preservation Society. Marcus has hands on experience in the restoration of multiple historical properties in Japan including the brewery, private residences and other buildings. Given that experience, Marcus is...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 49 of the podcast takes us to the smallest of Japan’s four main islands, Shikoku, and onto the Shikoku Henro. Associated with the life and teachings of legendary Buddhist monk Kūkai - also known as Kōbō Daishi – the Shikoku Henro is an 88 temple, 1200km / 745 mile pilgrimage circuit that circumambulates the island. Long-known by Japanese, “the Henro” is increasingly popula...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 48 we travel to rural Kyoto Prefecture to speak with Vincent Ng, otherwise known on Instagram as Kyoto Insider. As Kyoto Insider , Vince documents his life in rural Kyoto, and in doing so, explores the interconnection of food chain origins while showing off his lifestyle. He is hands on in that exploration, embracing all aspects of rural life. Fishing, farming and hunti...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 47 I speak with Reverend Dr. TK Nakagaki. Rev. Dr. Nakagaki is the author of the book ' The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler’s Cross: Rescuing a Symbol of Peace from the Forces of Hate '. Published in 2017, the book presents a cross-cultural history of the “swastika”, a symbol of peace used by multiple Eastern religions, including Japanese Buddhism, and indigenous...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 46 of the podcast I speak with outdoor guide, Kouhei Nishida. Kouhei is the founder of Shinano Discovery - an outdoor guiding company - and a key member of the team behind creation of the Amatomi Trail. Opened to the public in 2021, the Amatomi Trail stretches 86km / 54 miles from Nagano City through Myoko Togakushi Renzan National Park to Lake Nojiriko and onto Madarao...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 45 transports us to Tohoku in the north-east of Japan’s main island of Honshu. Tohoku is a large region comprised of six prefectures – Fukushima, Yamagata, Akita, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori – known for its open and striking landscapes and distinct local traditions. Leading us on this exploration is photographer Alfonso Calero . With more than 20 years of experience as a prof...

Send us Fan Mail This is the second half of Episode 44 of the podcast, my cha with Richard Pearce of Sustainable Daisen. Originally from the UK, Richard founded and operates Sustainable Daisen – an NPO dedicated to the protection of the Japanese Giant Salamander and effective conservation of its habitat. Richard and I discussed the salamander, the threats it is facing and the tremendous work of Su...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 44 we travel to the southwest of Japan’s main island of Honshu and onto Tottori Prefecture to speak with Richard Pearce of Sustainable Daisen – an NPO dedicated to the conservation of the Japanese Giant Salamander and the habitat it is reliant upon. Originally from the United Kingdom, Richard founded and operates Sustainable with his wife and with the support of others...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 43 takes us to the beautiful Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture to speak with guest, Lauren Scharf. Lauren and her husband live in a 117 year old ‘kominka’ (farmhouse / folkhouse), a home they have restored themselves and as such, they are part of an enthusiastic community of ‘minka’ owners across Japan. In support of that community, Lauren is also on the board of the M...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 42 of the podcast takes us in the mountains once again as we explore Japan’s mountain religion of Shugendo. My guest leading us in that discussion is Dr Caleb Swift Carter of Kyushu University. Dr Carter specialises in Buddhist Studies and the medieval and early modern religious history of Japan, with a focus on the mountain tradition of Shugendo. As such, he’s ideally-sui...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 41 of the podcast we return to Hokkaido and onto its most famous volcanoes as I chat with Chuck Olbery of Hokkaido Powder Guides. Operating for 20 years, Hokkaido Powder Guides offers backcountry, free and customised tours across Japan’s northern island including touring of its most prominent volcanoes – including Mount Yotei, Mount Tokachi, Mount Asahidake and Mount Ri...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 40 takes us to Japan’s northern island of Japan to speak with John Greiner, founder of Iwanai Resort . Blessed with Hokkaido’s legendary powder and without the crowds of nearby Niseko, Iwanai is regarded as Japan’s best cat skiing and snowboarding mountain.  While the lower resort is open to the public, it is Iwanai’s cat operation which has put it on the map as Japan’s be...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 39 of the podcast we travel to the deep snow country of Minami-Uonuma to speak with Kuwakino Keiko. Keiko is the head chef of Sanaburi, the Michelin-starred restaurant within the renowned hotel, Satoyama Jujo. Awarded that Michelin-star in 2020, Keiko has since gone on to receive a Terroir Award and a score of 15.5 by Gault Millau in 2022 while also nominated as one of...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 38 of the podcast we travel just outside of Nagano City to speak with Osaka Gaku, the owner of Solashima. Solashima is a vintage and antique store selling furniture and other items. As Gaku explains during the interview, the furniture and other pieces he acquires and sells range in age, design and condition. In collecting items for the store, Gaku seeks out pieces that...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 37 of the podcast takes us to Minakami in Gunma Prefecture to speak with Zack Berman of Momi-no-Ki Lodge. Originally from the United States, Zack and his wife Amanda own and operate the large self-contained lodge in the heart of Minakami – a hot spring town now well-established as one of Japan’s best outdoor destinations. We discuss the skiing and snowboarding available at...

Send us Fan Mail I am pleased to announce that the podcast will be returning with the first episode of Season 4 on Tuesday 22nd October, under the new name of 'Outland Japan'. The podcast has now been running around a year-and-a-half, and during that time, I've discovered more and more stories I’d like to bring you, that lie outside of the snow country, in other areas of regional an...

Send us Fan Mail The podcast remains on a break between seasons but as promised, here’s another shorter, edited version of one of the most popular episodes to date - Finding, Fixing & Furnishing a Home in the Snow Country with Gianpaolo Camplese . This was Episode 22 of the podcast, in which I speak with woodworker and musician Gianpaolo Camplese about living in the snow country and his acquis...

Send us Fan Mail The podcast is currently on a break between Season 3 and Season 4. As promised, during this period I’ll be uploading previous episode or two, beginning with this edit of what was the Episode 13 of the podcast, and the first of Season 2 – Shiga Kogen Ski Resort: Japan’s Largest Ski Resort. In this episode I spoke with two-time Olympian Robel Zemichael about Shiga Kogen Mountain Res...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 36 of the podcast we head into the North Alps – Japan’s highest mountain range – and onto Norikura. Standing 3026 metres / 9927 feet above sea level, Mount Norikura or Norikuradake is one of the highest peaks in North Alps, a volcanic mountain which straddles the border of Nagano and Gifu Prefectures. It is here, in the village below the mountain, that we travel to meet...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 35 of the podcast takes us to Shiga Kogen Highlands in Nagano Prefecture. Declared a UNESCO Biopshere Reserve in 1980, Shiga Kogen is an alpine landscape which includes major peaks such as Mount Shiga and Mount Kusatsu-Shirane – one of Japan’s most active volcanoes – renowned for its biodiversity, wetlands and distinct seasonal beauty.  In this episode I speak with Yokota...

Send us Fan Mail This is the second half of Episode 34 of the podcast, my chat with Dan Solo of Snowball Japan . Originally from Australia, Dan and his wife Andy first travelled to Japan more than 20 years ago and fell in love with life in the snow country. They set themselves to one day run their own ski lodge, a dream that came to fruition when they opened Snowball Chalet in Madarao, followed so...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 34 of the podcast we head to Madarao Mountain Resort in Nagano to speak with Dan Solo of Snowball Japan . Originally from Australia, Dan and his wife Andy first travelled to Japan more than 20 years ago and fell in love with life in the snow country. They set themselves to one day run their own ski lodge, a dream that came to fruition when they opened Snowball Chalet in...