Kanazawa Itinerary: 2 Days in the City of Samurais
Kanazawa Itinerary: 2 Days in the City of Samurais In this Kanazawa itinerary post, I’m going to show you how to spend 2 days in Kanazawa, a city famous for its stunningly restored samurai and geisha neighborhoods and its fabulous and fresh seafood. If you’re looking...
The 4 Best Day Trips from Tokyo
The 4 Best Day Trips from Tokyo Looking to take a day trip from Tokyo, but don’t know where to go. Here are THE 4 best day trips to take from Tokyo: Hakone, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji, and Nikko. All of them can be reached in 1 or 2 hours by bus or train. All will reward you...
How to find the perfect place to stay in Tokyo (even on a budget)
How to find the perfect place to stay in Tokyo (even on a budget) Struggling with figuring out where to stay in Tokyo? I totally get it. There are so many neighborhoods to choose from, and each has its pros and cons. Ginza is central but expensive. Asakusa is cheap...
27 Great Books on Japan – Novels
27 Great Books on Japan – Novels In my latest books for the world traveler series of posts, I’m going to share with you my honest and unbiased review of 27 of my favorite and not-so-favorite novels about Japan and Japanese culture. By reading this list,...
Matsumoto Itinerary: Exploring Japan’s Coolest Castle
Matsumoto Itinerary: Exploring Japan’s Coolest Castle In this Matsumoto itinerary guide, I’m going to show you EXACTLY how you can see all the must-see places in Matsumoto in just one day. This itinerary comes from both my extensive research and travels around...
Hakone Itinerary: How to Spend 2 Days in Hakone
Hakone Itinerary: How to Spend 2 Days in Hakone Long ago when Japan was ruled by a shogun and samurai still roamed the countryside, the cities of Japan were connected by five highways. The most famous one, the Tokaido Road (East Coast Road), connected the two most...
The Best Ever Guide to Japan’s Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
The Best Ever Guide to Japan’s Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route One of the most unique travel experiences for me in Japan was traveling from Kanazawa to Matsumoto via the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. I could have taken a boring old train between these two cities,...
Kyoto Itinerary 4 Days: A City of a Million Temples
Kyoto Itinerary 4 Days: A City of a Million Temples Kyoto doesn’t really have a thousand temples, but it feels like it does. Even before I set foot in the city, I was overwhelmed by all there was to see. On top of that, like Tokyo, the sites are spread out all over...About Me
I’m Julie, a.k.a. the Bamboo Traveler. Like bamboo, I look weak on the outside (a short, bit overweight, and not very athletic 40 something traveler with poor eyesight, a bum knee and flat feet), but inside I’m strong, resilient, flexible, and open-minded. I write about how to travel to exotic locations around the world and what it’s like traveling solo as a middle-aged woman. I’m also a bookworm, food nerd, and amateur historian, so you’ll find lots of advice and info about what to read for your travels, where and what to eat, and where it all came from. Welcome to my travel blog! I’m so glad you made it here!
