• [ ]

    Orange Railway and Kagoshima 2026: All Posts

    #0 Index

    Orange Railway and Kagoshima 2026: All Posts

    Eight days in Kagoshima Prefecture along the Hisatsu Orange Railway: samurai streets in Izumi, the sea at Akune, quiet Satsumasendai, and Tenmonkan nights.


  • [ ]

    The Best Moment of This Trip

    #7 Yudalsan

    The Best Moment of This Trip

    I had already spent a lot of energy on Goha Island. The health stairs, walking paths, and the coastal deck were not exactly a brutal course.It would be more honest to say that my physical strength has simply declined.My body is no longer what it was when I was younger. But my travel style is still stuck in those younger days.So every now and then, I end up collapsing somewhere during a trip. By the time we reached Yudalsan Station, I was so tired that I briefly considered staying on the cable car and going straight to Bukhang Station.I wanted…


  • [ ]

    The Closest Place to the Sea

    #6 Goha Island

    The Closest Place to the Sea

    The cable car that departed from the Buk-hang stationarrived at the Goha-do station about 15 minutes later. If I had lined up right away after getting off,I could have gone straight to Yudalsan,but since it was my first time on Goha Island,I wanted to look around first. Goha Island is an island located in the western seaat the mouth of the Yeongsangang River,and it has long served as a kind of natural breakwaterprotecting the waters in front of Mokpo. According to historical records,Admiral Yi Sun-sin stayed on Goha Islandafter the Battle of Myeongnyangto reorganize the naval forces. Although the surrounding…


  • [ ]

    From Bukhang to Goha Island

    #5 Mokpo Marine Cable Car

    From Bukhang to Goha Island

    I’m not really the type of traveler who rides things like cable cars.It always feels like something for middle-aged tourists,a very obvious travel course. My style has always been to make my own routeand walk wherever I feel like walking. Well, to be fair,I am already a middle-aged man. I heard that the Mokpo Marine Cable Caris the longest cable car in Korea.And it’s not a straight line,but a route that bends at a right angle. I was curious what it would feel liketo cross the sea by cable car.I had also never been to Goha Island(Gohado),the island right in…


  • [ ]

    Instead of Kongguksu, Sundubu-jjigae

    #4 Yudal Kongmul Bukhang Direct Store

    Instead of Kongguksu, Sundubu-jjigae

    There were several restaurants I wanted to visit in Mokpo,and one of them was, of course, the famous Yudal Kongmul. I had visited Mokpo several times before,but somehow had never managed to go there even once.So this time, I was determined to finally try it. Unfortunately, during the winter season,the main store is completely closed.They only reopen around March next year. So I thought,“Is this another missed chance?” But then I found outthere was a Yudal Kongmul Bukhang direct storeright in front of Bukhang. Since I was already walking around Bukhang,it was the perfect place to stop for lunch. Inside…


  • [ ]

    Another Port of Mokpo Tourists Don’t Know

    #3 Bukhang

    Another Port of Mokpo Tourists Don’t Know

    Every Korean knows the saying,“Mokpo is a port.” But most people don’t really knowhow many ports Mokpo actually has. There is Namhang(south port), mainly used by passenger ferries,Bukhang(north port), focused on cargo and fishing,Sinhang(new port), dedicated to containers and large cargo ships,and Daebul Port, used for the Daebul industrial complex. Daebul Port belongs administratively to Yeongam,so if we count only the ports in Mokpo,there are three. I’ve heard that Samhakdo also used to have a port,but now the area is being developed into a park. Today’s destination is Bukhang. Namhang, where the passenger terminal is,is located in the old downtown…


  • [ ]

    Walking the old town, sleeping in the new town

    #2 Pyeonghwa Square

    Walking the old town, sleeping in the new town

    The goal of this trip was simple.I wanted to walk through Mokpo slowly. That is why I did not take a taxi.Instead, I took a bus from Mokpo Station to the hotel. There was a reason for this. When I travel in small cities in Japan,I try to use buses or trams whenever I can. I believe that using public transportationhelps me feel the city more directly. Then a question came to mind. Why is it that, when I travel within Korea,I choose taxis so easily? This time, I wanted to move aroundas if I were traveling abroad. Press enter…


  • [ ]

    This trip is Mokpo.

    #1 Prologue

    This trip is Mokpo.

    It has been a while since my last domestic trip.This time, I decided to go to Mokpo. For Koreans, it’s a city that almost everyone recognizes by name,but surprisingly, not many people have actually traveled there.Compared to how well-known it is,Mokpo doesn’t get chosen very often as a travel destination. It feels different from popular cities like Busan,Gyeongju, Jeonju, or Gangneung. I’ve been to Mokpo several times.I’ve visited with friends,been introduced to good restaurants by a friend from Mokpo,and even taken a spontaneous trip here with my girlfriend. About eight years ago,I also stopped by Mokpo while traveling around the…