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.
Last weekend, me and my friends went on a roadtrip to Ginzan Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture. It’s my first time going to Yamagata and I was so excited to go to Ginzan Onsen because I’m crazy for onsen like that. I hate crowds though and every time I travel, I try to go to the less…
Last year, when we went on an overnight hike to Karamatsu, there was a female hiker who fell and hit her head during the descent. It happened near the hut, so the staff at Karamatsu-dake Chojo-sanso were the ones who called emergency services to request a helicopter transport. Do you know how much search and…
I never thought I would enjoy winter hiking in this lifetime because I’ve always loved sunny weather and warm temperatures. But after hiking in autumn (which was freezing at the summit of Nikko-Shirane), I’ve become more open to cold-weather hikes — and this trip to Unryu Keikoku / 雲竜渓谷, also known as “Cloud Dragon Valley,”…