Author Archives: eli fessler

The Greens and Blues of Southern Shikoku – part one

Posted on April 22, 2026 by eli fessler

Out of my collection of – prior to Golden Week last year – 129 unique IC cards from all around Japan, there was only one regularly available one I was missing: DESUCA, from Kochi Prefecture. Kochi’s one most out-of-the-way regions … Continue reading →

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Mini-trip #4: How do I keep finding myself in Saga?

Posted on February 28, 2026 by eli fessler

Nobody likes Saga Prefecture for some reason. There’s a Japanese company that carries out yearly “prefectural attractiveness” surveys, and every year Saga’s right near the bottom. It fell one spot to last place in 2022, leading to a lot of … Continue reading →

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From Nagoya to Nagoya, riding the Iida Line and KURURUing through Nagano

Posted on January 30, 2026 by eli fessler

Happy 2026! Now almost a year behind, this post recounts a circular trip I took over the course of a long weekend in February 2025 to get the brand new 2-in-1 regional collaboration IC card KURURU. I’m trying to finish … Continue reading →

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SNOOOOOOW IN HOKKAIDOOOOO!

Posted on November 18, 2025 by eli fessler

Japan is so hot. So absolutely, unlivably hot for a solid four, arguably even five months of the year. But I grew up in the snow – it’s my favorite type of weather, and winter is my favorite season bar … Continue reading →

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Mini-trip #3: Seishun 18-ing to Onomichi & the end of Honshu

Posted on September 18, 2025 by eli fessler

*taps* Is this thing on? Yes, yes, I’m spending more time doing things (and procrastinating) than writing about doing things. I guess that’s a good thing, maybe? It’s now September 2025 and I’m writing about a very very long local … Continue reading →

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