“Sitting in the steaming hot, mineral-rich water, windows open to the cool breezes, the city lights of Takamatsu sparkle in the distance like gemstones against the night’s velvet gown. Because even in darkness, true beauty always shines.”

“When the Ouchi returned four months later, they once again met an insurmountable bulwark in the form of a teenage girl.”

“As the stunningly gorgeous scenery scrolled by, I realized that even in achieving my long-held ambition of cycling the Shimanami Kaido, I’d need to visit again if I wanted to get the most out of the experience – like the many waka poems written about the Seto Inland Sea, there’s simply too much to take in on the first pass.”

“Interestingly, many of the older okonomiyaki restaurants in Hiroshima share the names of their matron founders who, during the war and its aftermath, opened their shops when their husbands went off to – or failed to return from – the war.”

“Walking across Kintaikyo’s rolling, hill-like arches brings with it that uniquely exhilarating feeling of touching history with every footstep.”

“In a flash, the dancing women transform into demons, their hideous faces glowering in the mist above our helpless heroes as the wood flute unleashes a desperate flourish, and the drums and cymbals thrash a wild frenzy.”