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Bamboo grove in Arashiyama, outside of Kyoto. Photo ©Darren Bradley While in Japan, we spent a few days in Japan's cultural capital, Kyoto. To get into the spirit of things, I thought it would be fun to rent a traditional Japanese house (a Machiya ) and live the "Japanese way". That turned out to be a bit more difficult than we anticipated.  Our  machiya , or traditional Japanese home, in the Kyoto suburb of Arashiyama. Photo ©Darren Bradley You see, traditional Japanese homes don't have much in the way of insulation. Those shoji screens you see on the far wall are made of fine paper to allow light in. But that means there's not much separating you from the winter cold. And it was COLD! It was even snowing a bit at times.  The entire home essentially consisted of this one room, with a bathroom, toilet, and rudimentary traditional kitchen (little more than a stone floor outhouse with a stone block for a sink.) At least there was a real toilet, and the toilet...

The Oval, Bennesse House Hotel and Art Museum, Naoshima Island, Japan. Photo ©Darren Bradley I just returned from a couple of surreal weeks in Japan with the family. One of the highlights of the trip was a few days at the Bennesse House Art Museum and Hotel on Naoshima Island. It was one of the most fascinating, enjoyable, and frustrating experiences I've ever had.  Miyanoura Ferry Terminal on Naoshima Island by SANAA. Photo ©Darren Bradley Getting to the island is no easy feat. From Tokyo, we first spent a few days in Kyoto (more on that later). Then we took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Okayama. From Okayama, we had to change to a slower local train, change trains at a station in a small town surrounded by farms in the middle of nowhere, and take another train to a small port town called Uno. Then, walk across the street with our bags to the ferry terminal, cross a channel in the boat, and then take a shuttle bus to the resort. By the time you arrive, you've earned it.  B...