What Travelers to the Japanese Countryside Should Know
Japonica travel writing contest winner Joshua Bewig talks about his work in the rural travel industry
Japonica recently held its first-ever travel writing contest. The winner of the gold prize is Joshua Bewig, who mesmerized and enthralled us with his entry, Omizu Okuri: Festival of Fire and Water.
Joshua is originally from a small town in New England and moved to Japan in 2016.
Today, Japonica sat down with Joshua for a deep and thoughtful discussion of Japanese culture, rural tourism, and what foreign travelers should be aware of if they wish to venture off the beaten path.
Thank you, Joshua, for joining us.
What brought you to Japan?
I grew up in a homogenous little town in New England, but I was introduced to Japan at an early age through the photos and stories of a family friend. He had spent a year in Kyoto studying kendo and Zen, and everything about this exotic land seemed…
