“From the front door of Ryokan Kurashiki, you can walk about three minutes and find yourself standing on the threshold of a traditional restaurant, in the private workshop of a local artisan, or in front of a painting by Monet.”

“Instead of cutlass-wielding swashbucklers swaggering ashore, tourists stroll on and off brandishing cameras, gingerly stepping between the vessel’s built-in gangway and the dock.”

“In an age where abstraction and mass-appeal often serve to discourage political and social commentary in art, seeing works which clearly and unabashedly connect to relevant issues makes for a delightful and refreshing experience.”

“Sitting in the steaming hot, mineral-rich water, windows open to the cool breezes, the city lights of Takamatsu sparkle in the distance like gemstones against the night’s velvet gown. Because even in darkness, true beauty always shines.”

“When the Ouchi returned four months later, they once again met an insurmountable bulwark in the form of a teenage girl.”

“As the stunningly gorgeous scenery scrolled by, I realized that even in achieving my long-held ambition of cycling the Shimanami Kaido, I’d need to visit again if I wanted to get the most out of the experience – like the many waka poems written about the Seto Inland Sea, there’s simply too much to take in on the first pass.”