Outland Japan

Send us Fan Mail Snow Country Stories Japan is currently on a break between Season 1 and Season 2. As promised, during this period I’ll be uploading a couple of previous episodes, beginning with this edit of what was Episode 2 of the podcast. The original episode was the longest to date at over 1 hour whereas this edit is just over 20 minutes.  I consider this chat to be one of the best I've...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 12 of the podcast is the first of my intended travel guides for recommended destinations in the snow country. Located just outside of Nagano City, Togakushi is home to some of Japan’s most important Shinto shrines and one of the snow country’s most important cultural landscapes. Mount Togakushi has been a focal point of devotion for more than 1000 years with its shrines an...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 11 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I speak with Yuki Iwanami , a renowned photographer based in the snow country area of Aizu in Fukushima. Yuki’s photography explores the humanity of man-made and natural disasters such as war, trafficking and earthquakes. As such, his portfolio features his work in countries including Nepal, Pakistan, China, India and Cambodia along wit...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 10 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I speak with Sam Yoneda, lead distiller at the newly opened but already well-awarded Nozawa Onsen Distillery . Founded with a vision to produce gin and whisky that reflect the character of Nozawa Onsen, the distillery opened its doors to the public in December 2022 and since that time has won multiple awards both in Japan and abroad – a...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 09 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I speak with Tim Bunting. Based in Yamagata but originally from New Zealand, Tim is a practicing ‘yamabushi’ and better known by his moniker the ‘Kiwi Yamabushi’ . Translating as ‘one who prostrates himself on a mountain’, the word ‘yamabushi’ refers to mountain ascetics – those who practices various forms of shugendo – a syncretic fait...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 08 of Snow Country Stories Japan I delve a little deeper into what and where the snow country is, why I value it, why I think you should visit and my own story and the services I provide as a writer and guide based in Nagano. I also provide some basic information about how to get to the snow country, which obviously depends to your exact destination and how you want to...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 07 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I speak with Kevin Kato, a guide and writer based in Matsumoto, Nagano. Kevin guides extended cycling and walking tours in Japan and in the first half of the interview we discuss the pleasure we both find in guiding, the need to convey of sense of place to guests and the growing popularity of cycling, including cycling tours and new rou...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 06 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I had the privilege of visiting Shiga Kogen Brewery – one of the snow country’s most recognisable, popular and awarded breweries. Established in 2004 by the founder and master brewer, Sato Eigo, Shiga Kogen Brewery grew out of his family’s much older Tamamura Honten – a sake brewery dating back more than 200 years – with a vision to pro...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 05 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I speak with Hayashi Motohiro - better known as ‘Moto the Mountain Guide’. Moto is a true man of the mountains, an experienced guide who makes his working and guiding in Japan’s tallest mountains. As such, Moto is most certainly leading the high life here in the snow country of Japan. Japan is in every sense a country of mountains. Over...

Send us Fan Mail Hello again from the snow country! This is a short announcement to let you know that as of this week, the name of the podcast will be changing from ‘Snow Country For Old Men’ to ‘Snow Country Stories Japan’ and with that, the website address will also be updated. The reasons for the change are simple and won’t result in any alteration to the podcast content or our usual bi-weekly...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 04 of Snow Country Stories Japan*, I speak with Murai Shota. Shota is a young man originally from Nagoya and now living in small town of Nakano in Nagano; and tasked with finding solutions to, or it could be said new beginnings for, Nakano’s estimated 1000 empty houses.  Known as ‘空き家 / akiya’ in Japanese - a word that translates as ‘empty house’ – it is estimated th...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 03 of Snow Country Stories Japan*, I speak with Komatsu Haruna, a multi-talented musician and performer based in Iizuna, Nagano. Haruna is a member of Iizuna Gongen Daiko , a local ‘taiko’ (drum) group that has been performing for over 30 years. Haruna joined Iizuna Gongen Daiko in 2017 and now both performs and composes music for the group, including compositions to te...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 02 of Snow Country Stories Japan* transports us to Togari, Nagano to chat with Rich Morgan. Rich and his wife Maiko are engaged in the ongoing restoration of their home, a 200 year old traditional farmhouse. Known as ‘kominka’ in Japanese, these beautiful houses acted much like lifeboats within the heavy snow, allowing families to sustain themselves through winter. The ski...

Send us Fan Mail Hello and welcome to the first episode of Snow Country Stories Japan* – a podcast about life in Japan’s legendary ‘yukiguni’. In Episode 01 of the podcast I sat down for a chat with Mark of Madarao Mountain Lodge . Originally from Sydney, Australia, Mark has been living in Japan for years and operating his ski lodge in Madarao since 2017. He’s a big part of the community and a wea...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Snow Country Stories Japan*, a bi-weekly podcast all about life in Japan’s legendary ‘yukiguni’. This is a brief trailer episode to introduce the show - what it's all about and who it's for, your host and what to expect. Known as ‘yukiguni’ in Japanese, snow country refers to the prefectures and areas renowned for their heavy snowfall of winter – best-known to...