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This is a short announcement that Outland Japan continues to be on a break. Outland Japan has been running for over two years now, the most recent episode being Episode 50. I very much enjoy making the podcast but it takes quite a bit of time and effort - something I need to balance with work, family and other commitments. Looking forward I can see that that balance is going to be hard to achieve, especially in the next 6 to 12 months. Rather than overburden myself, I have decided to leave the podcast on a break for now as I figure out a way to continue Outland Japan in a manner more aligned and workable with my other commitments.

I am hesitant to do that as it takes a lot of effort and time to build up an audience, yet little time at all to lose an audience. For that reason I will endeavour to return with Outland Japan as soon as possible. If you’re following or subscribed to the podcast on whichever app you're listening on, it would be great if you could not change that so once I know the return date, you’ll get that announcement in your feed. Thanks for listening!

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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With the podcast on a break between Season 4 and Season 5, I am republishing another of my travel guides – in this case, my guide to Kamikochi. Open to the public from mid-April to mid-November, Kamikochi is an alpine valley located within Japan’s highest mountain range, the Hida Mountains or “North Alps”. Bookended by Hotakadake in the north – Japan’s third tallest mountain – and Yakedake in the south – an active volcano – the 16km / 10mi valley follows the Azusa River and is known for its outstanding beauty blended with spiritual importance. Access to Kamikochi is controlled and restricted to use of public buses, taxis or chartered vehicles meaning that planning ahead and knowing what to expect is important to getting the most out of your visit.

If you’re enjoying pod and would like to support me in continuing to make it, please do make sure to subscribe or follow on which pod app you’re listening on. I will announce the return date for the podcast as soon as possible. Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.

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The podcast is currently on a break between Season 4 and Season 5. As promised, during this period I’ll be uploading two previous episodes starting with my travel guide to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Open to the public from mid-April until the end of November, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route traverses Japan’s highest mountain range – the Hida mountains or North Alps – from Ogizawa Station on the Nagano-side of the range to Tateyama Station on the Toyama-side. Closed to the public through winter due to the extremely heavy snowfall experienced in the mountains, the route has just reopened for 2025 making it a good time to republish this travel guide, which I originally published in April 2024 under the old podcast name of ‘Snow Country Stories Japan’.

This episode will be followed by my other travel guide published in July last year, my guide to Kamikochi, which has also just reopened to the public. If you’re enjoying pod and would like to support me in continuing to make it, please do make sure to subscribe or follow on which pod app you’re listening on. Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy.

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.