About

About this site

Rekall Japan started as a way to keep track of places that took real effort to find — hikes without trail signs in English, ryokan in towns nobody writes about, coastal paths that don't appear in any guidebook. After ten years of travelling Japan, once a year every year, the list got long enough to be worth sharing.

The site is aimed at travellers who want to explore a less crowded Japan: people drawn to nature, hiking and rural places rather than city highlights, but who still want somewhere decent to sleep at the end of the day. Most of what's here is the kind of thing I'd tell a friend planning their first independent trip off the main circuit.

Who is behind the site

My name is Ingrid Stojnic. I'm a web designer based in Antwerp, Belgium. Japan has been a long-standing interest — I've studied the language for ten years and have a university degree in sinology. I first visited in 2016 and have been back almost every year since.

My focus has gradually shifted south and west: Kyushu and Shikoku are the regions I know best now, particularly their coastal landscapes, volcanic terrain and contemporary architecture. I travel mostly by rental car these days, which makes the more remote hikes actually reachable.

How the guides are researched

Every place on this site is somewhere I've been personally. I walk the routes, stay overnight where relevant, and photograph as I go. Practical details are verified against official Japanese sources, transport operators and tourism offices where possible.

Most photographs are my own. Onsen facilities don't allow photography, so those images come from the property or from Google Maps and Wikipedia.

I don't include businesses I haven't visited myself, and no one pays to be featured here. There are no affiliate links, sponsored stays or commercial arrangements of any kind.