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.
Nikko / 日光 / ニッコウ is known for its natural beauty, World Heritage Sites, and relaxing atmosphere. While most people would go to Lake Chuzenji, Toshogu Shrine, Rinnoji Temple, and the Shinkyo Bridge or Kegon Falls.. my crazy friends and I decided to climb Mt. Nikko-Shirane / 日光白根山 / ニッコウシラネ which is located on the border…
Beginner-friendly route option HERE. Back on Aug 22, 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, I decided to get back into outdoor activities and attempted to hike Mt. Karamatsu. I hadn’t been working out during that time and had gained about 10 kg since hiking Mt. Fuji two years prior. The climb was extremely difficult…
I love hiking. I also love onsen. If you ask me which one I love more, I don’t think I’d have an answer. So if you’re like me and want the best of both worlds, you should definitely check out the Mt. Mitake – Mt. Hinode – TsuruTsuru Onsen route. TIMELINE Sep. 22, 2024 /…
After our Nabewari-Tonodake fiasco, I needed a pick-me up (easy) hike where I can feel good about myself again. Some friends are going to Mt. Takao- Mt. Jinba and I decided to tag along. TIMELINE SEP. 14, 2024 , 9:00 – Our meet-up place was Takaosanguchi Station. We took the Inariyama course / 稲荷山コース /…
If you’re looking for a beginner friendly dayhike, Mitake-san is perfect for you. Mount Mitake has long been worshipped as a sacred mountain. Mitake Shrine dates back to as early as 90 B.C., making it one of the oldest in Japan. Known in Japanese as anzan sugi, Mt. Mitake’s sacred cedar trees are believed to…
I recently went on a waterfall meditation / sound healing retreat for my birthday. It was a very interesting experience for me because it was my first time doing waterfall meditation and my second time experiencing sound healing. I saw a reel from Yamatrips Japan about waterfalls meditation at Seizan-so right right around the time…
This is the hardest hike I’ve ever done in my life. We started our ascent at 8:30 and were supposed to be at Sonbutsu Sanso in Tonodake by 16:00, but we didn’t arrive until 18:40. It was already dark, and the last hour of the ascent was just too hard for me. I honestly thought…
Gusto mo bang mag-apply ng trabaho sa US Navy Base? Requirements for Foreigners in Japan: (Ang info below ay galing sa LMO WEBSITE– Office na nagmamanage ng labor force sa loob ng base) How to apply: Kailangan personal na pumunta sa office ng LMO para mag fill-up ng application form. Doon ka rin mamimili ng…
I think I found the best spot to practice surfing for beginners. I’ve always wanted to try surfing but didn’t know how to swim so I couldn’t go with friends for a long time. I was always jealous because they look so cool. I was scared of the open water because I cannot swim. I…
I am not a coffee connoisseur but I love drinking coffee. I make drip coffee every day at work and consider myself inoperable or maybe non-human yet before I have my cup of coffee in the morning. So if you see me in the morning and I look angry, please don’t take it personally.. I…