why i love japanese vending machines
Among the more prominent features of each and every Japanese street I walked down were the vending machines. Whether it was next to a love hotel, a legit hotel, a…
goodbye japan, hello kitty
As I made my way to Tokyo’s Narita airport for a long journey back to North America, I contemplated my time in Japan as the varied scenery of the Japanese…
shinjuku tokyo’s golden gai
Golden Gai is a small, hidden area of Shinjuku in Tokyo only a ten minute walk from Shinjuku station. I had heard a lot about this area as a “must…
the art of the ktx: the korea train express [video]
![the art of the ktx: the korea train express [video]](http://flyingnorth.net/wp-content/themes/advanced-newspaper/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fflyingnorth.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F04%2F5D2561AF-F392-444C-8F6B-45A50B25DEA20.jpg&q=90&w=80&h=66&zc=1 "the art of the ktx: the korea train express [video]")
Move over TGV and Japan Rail Bullet train, the KTX is here. The KTX, or Korea Train eXpress is South Korea’s high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on…
the japanese yen is a dangerous currency
It is common knowledge that Tokyo is not a city for the thrifty. In fact, according to a February report from the Economist, Tokyo it is the most expensive city…
kyoto’s kinkaku, or golden pavillion
Kyoto was quite a surprise. I didn’t know much about the city except that it was the location for the the UN climate change conference that became known as the…
the hiroshima peace park and the atomic dome [vlog]
![the hiroshima peace park and the atomic dome [vlog]](http://flyingnorth.net/wp-content/themes/advanced-newspaper/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fflyingnorth.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F04%2FD69AE51B-AE81-4426-8DA4-A2FE3CC4E88B0.jpg&q=90&w=80&h=66&zc=1 "the hiroshima peace park and the atomic dome [vlog]")
Very little remains of the city of Hiroshima from before August 6, 1945 when the world’s first use of an atomic weapon changed the Japanese city – and the world…
the haeinsa temple and the tripitaka koreana [vlog]
![the haeinsa temple and the tripitaka koreana [vlog]](http://flyingnorth.net/wp-content/themes/advanced-newspaper/timthumb.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fflyingnorth.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F03%2F3C9EB0F1-867E-4517-B377-4F52737C97A60.jpg&q=90&w=80&h=66&zc=1 "the haeinsa temple and the tripitaka koreana [vlog]")
The Haeinsa Temple was founded during the third year of King Ae-Jang’s reign [802], by two monks Suneung and Ijung. The name “Haein” originates from the expression Haeinsammae of Hwaeomgyeong…
koyasan and the daito, or great pagoda
Koyasan, Japan is a center of Buddhist study and practice, located in the Wakayama Prefecture at an elevation of approximately 900 meters [2900 feet] above sea level. The town was…
a golden king keeps watch over seoul
There are many things to see in the center of the grand Gwanghawmun Square in the heart of Seoul. Gyeongbokgung Palace with Mount Bukaksan looming in the background, the Sejong…