Traveling with purpose. Writing from the heart. Marie Journals is a personal travel blog about slow travel, hiking, and intentional journeys—mostly around Japan. Here, I share honest travel stories, detailed guides, reflections from the trail, and practical tips from my own experiences hiking and walking pilgrimages like the Camino de Santiago.
Mt. Oyama (1,252m) is very popular among locals, mainly because of Oyama Afuri Shrine. The shrine’s history is said to date back more than 2,200 years, and it has been a well-known pilgrimage spot since the mid-18th century during the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple trailheads to choose from, and you have plenty of…
Tottori 鳥取県 my #24th(All places have google map links if you click on them) July 13, 2024– Before checking-in to my driving school in Shimane, my friend Alysa and I decided to stop by Tottori Prefecture to see the famous Sand Dunes. At first, I was worried there wouldn’t be much to do for the full…
Alright Demon Slayer fans… You definitely know this mountain we hiked last week because it’s where Tanjiro Kamado and his family used to live. If you’ve seen the first episode of Kimetsu no Yaiba, you know which mountain I’m talking about. Episode 1 and this anime already got me crying my eyeballs out. I recently…