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rural life

Family Mart Japan installs red-eyed “Monster Wolf” to keep bears away from convenience store

The giant wolf emits loud warning sounds and shouts out phrases like, “What are you looking at? Do you really think you can beat me?”

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We build a snake house for the rat snake living in our cheap country home【SoraHouse】

Everyone deserves a home.

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Visiting a hot spring complex made out of a repurposed elementary school in Osaka

It’s the best place to learn a thing or two about hot springs.

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Japanese hand-dug tunnels on a bamboo forest trail are like a quest in a video game

Complete with advice from a local side character, this off-the-beaten path adventure is wild and frightening at the same time. 

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The oldest tunnel in Japan is believed to be haunted, and strange things happen when we go there

Spirits from the past live on at this abandoned site in the mountains. 

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Doai Station: The deepest station in Japan is also one of the scariest, like a video game dungeon

This underground fortress isn’t dubbed “Japan’s No. 1 Mole Station” for nothing.

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Why are people moving in droves to Fukuoka Prefecture? We asked someone who did for some insight

What’s the appeal of the more rural southwestern prefecture over a centralized urban lifestyle?

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Visit the mythical cave that hid the Sun Goddess in Japanese mythology

An unsual tourist site shrouded in intrigue and mystery.

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The best soba restaurant on Yakushima island, according to locals

It’s a trek to get to this rural location, but it’s worth it. 

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Four pieces of important advice for foreigners in Japan moving from the countryside to Tokyo

These tips will prepare you for a smooth transition from rural to urban living.

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“Miyako” – one of the most beautiful, feels-inducing Japan videos you’ll ever see【Video】

If you’ve ever visited Japan, chances are your first stop in the country has been a big, bustling metropolis like Osaka or Tokyo. While the enormous flat screens, heaving intersections and impressive skyscrapers make for some memorable photo moments, it’s the serene, picturesque country towns that really hold the true essence and beauty of Japan.

For those of us who can’t make a trip out to soak in the serenity of the countryside, there’s a short, three-and-a-half minute film that will transport us there. If you loved Chihiro’s tranquil train ride in the Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away, you’ll love this touching video, which introduces us to a stationmaster called Miyako, who waves at all her departing passengers—and keeps waving until they disappear into the horizon—showing us just how moving a simple gesture can be.

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Nagasaki’s hundreds of beautiful islands get newspapers from boats, planes, 2,285 delivery people

Although Nagasaki is one of the most populous cities on the island of Kyushu, many neighborhoods are built on steep coastal hillsides that are inaccessible by car. Then there’s the rest of Nagasaki Prefecture, which is dotted with isolated communities on its hundreds of islands.

But with the prefecture’s unique beauty and culture, it’s not hard to see why many residents of Nagasaki are happy living where they do. And while there may be some inconveniences that come with living in such remote homes, they can at least be assured of receiving their newspapers every day, as this surprisingly moving video of the incredibly complex delivery process shows.

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