We here at WoWasis have seen a lot of Buddhist structures, but we weren’t prepared for what we saw at Kyoto’s amazing Sanjusangen-Do temple. Here is a hall, rebuilt in 1266, replete with 1001 statues of the 100-armed Buddhist goddess of mercy, Kannon. The statues are laid out in a grid consisting of 500 statues […]
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WoWasis’ Top 6 picks in Takayama, Japan
Takayama is a small jewel of a city located to the north of Kyoto, and makes a refreshing two day stop. It’s unrushed, and a terrific walking town. To get here, you’ll probably take the train from Nagoya. If you do, get a window seat, as the scenery around the Hida river is at times […]
Read the rest of this entry »Japan’s bullet train-air fare wars a bad portent to California’s high speed rail success?
Although California voters recently approved a high speed rail system from San Francisco to Los Angeles, it appears to be slowly unhinging as a result of mounting labor costs as well as the inability to predict how many people will actually use the system. Japan, who produced the first national bullet train system (Shinkansen) is […]
Read the rest of this entry »Thai Air Asia flies new low-cost route to Siem Reap-Ankor Wat, Cambodia
Bangkok Airways no longer has an exclusive air route flying from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia, gateway city to the historical Angkor Wat complex. With an agreement that took five years to forge, Thai Air Asia, beginning October 1, 2013, will now fly to Siem Reap, opening with a promotional fare that essentially amounts to […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits the beautiful Isui-en Garden in Nara, Japan
On your day walk through the old Japanese capital city of Nara, it’s easy to miss one of Japan’s most outstanding gardens. It’s a must-see, though, and it will take you less than an hour to complete the magnificent walking loop. Located to the west of Todaiji Temple’s Nandaimon Gate, the Isui-en Garden sits astride […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits the Yatai Kaikan Float Museum in Takayama, Japan
No visit to Takayama, Japan, would be complete without a visit to the Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan Float Exhibition Hall. The floats are massive wooden two or three-wheeled structures, brought out twice a year for the Takayama Matsuri (festival). Four of these floats are always on a rotating visit to the museum, where you can […]
Read the rest of this entry »Fastest way from Narita Airport to Tokyo: Narita Express train N’EX and Suica card
Here at WoWasis, we like to get out of airports and into the city as quickly and inexpensively as we can, and Narita Airport has a solution that’s pretty much seamless. You simply take Japan Rail (JR-East’s) fast N’EX train (Narita Express) from either terminal at the airport, and you’ll get off at either the […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits the Hida Folk Village (Hida No Sato) in Takayama, Japan
The hillside and lake-situated Hida Folk Village historical park in the city of Takayama, Japan, isn’t to be missed, and is worth a visit if you’re anywhere close to Takayama. Opened in 1971, the site consists of more than thirty buildings from the Hida area, moved here to preserve them from destruction. Architectural styles include […]
Read the rest of this entry »Not optimized for westerners: an afternoon wasted in Kibune, Kyoto, Japan
The tiny mountain village of Kibune, a half-hour north of Kyoto, Japan, sounds great in the guidebooks. It sits next to a mountain stream, and people eat at restaurants that consist of platforms nestled next to the steam. The traditional dish is cold noodles dipped in a local sauce. Sounds wonderful and idyllic, doesn’t it? […]
Read the rest of this entry »Gaining weight leads to bigger penis size, Thai Health Department suggests
Leave it to the Thais to finally find a natural solution to what men have been seeking for millennia: bigger cocks! According to a front page story in the July 13, 2013 Bangkok Post, the Thai government is now buying larger condoms to dole out to men under the age of 30. The Post quotes […]
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