• Fall 2025: Japan
    Aerial view of the peninsular garden; courtesy of a postcard. :)
    Entrance to Banndoko Garden.Steps leading down to the water where we watched some locals fish.1There were a few people fishing today, each with these ridiculously long poles!He 'chummed' the water by scooping up some pink stuff w/ a long scoop & tossing it into the water.Wakayama Castle.A quick little snack of noodle soup for which the area is known.Views of Wakayama City from a tower in the castle.The ship's entertainment team had some beautiful voices.Mark participates in a little gameshow competition.

    Shimotsu (Wakayama Prefecture)

    November 23, 2025 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    Shimotsu was a town of around 14K people in 2003. In 2005 it was merged into the expanded city of Kainan.
    We grabbed a taxi to Bandoko Garden -- a lovely peninsular garden that was all the more stunning for its seclusion from the city.
    We then taxi'd over to Wakayama Castle Park. During the Edo Period (c1600 - 1863), due to its size and status, Wakayama Castle was ranked as one of the most important castles under the Tokugawa (Edo) shogunate (military government). Unfortunately it was firebombed in 1945 during the war, however it was reconstructed in 1958; this time, in concrete. Here too were beautiful gardens made all the more so thanks to the colorful fall foliage.    Read more