Experiencing the Unknown with Google Maps
Using Google Maps and your sense of adventure!
This article is just as it looks. I’d like to share my experiences about using Google Maps to take a holiday in a little known area to foreign tourists in Japan.
Firstly, I will start by saying that travelling to this location was not a random occurrence as I do have friends that live in the area, but my friends were working a lot of the time, so I was left up to my own devices to entertain myself.
The area that I travelled to was a town called ‘Okazaki’ which is located in the Aichi Prefecture, which is located about 35 km SE as the crow flies.
I’d like to share a few benefits to why using Google Maps is a great way to explore new places using my experiences
Easy navigation:
Google Maps makes it easy to navigate to a new place, even if you're unfamiliar with the area. It can provide you with directions, estimated travel times, and even real-time traffic updates to help you plan your trip more efficiently.
Simply add your to and from locations into the search bar and choose the tab with the mode of transport you require. Here you can see that catching the train and walking is just as fast as riding a bicycle.
I went here a couple of times. Once by bicycle and once by walking.
You can choose your departure or arrival time to make it easier to plan your day.
Detailed information:
Google Maps can provide you with a wealth of information about a location, including its address, phone number, website, photos, reviews, and ratings. This information can help you determine if the place is worth visiting and what to expect when you get there.
A good point to also keep in mind is to take the reviews lightly, as disgruntled customers with illegitimate reasons can and WILL try to bring down the reputation of a business they are not happy with. Use commonsense and weigh up the pros and cons.
As you can see by the picture above, there's a lot of useful information including park hours, address, website etc.
If you are using a laptop or PC like I am, you can send all information to your phone by simply clicking the "Send to Phone" tab.
Discovering hidden gems:
Google Maps can help you discover hidden gems that you may not have known existed. By exploring the map and searching for nearby attractions or restaurants, you may stumble upon a unique and interesting place that you wouldn't have found otherwise.
The following are 2 examples of places I found from using Google Maps:
Maruya Hatcho Miso
I knew that Aichi Prefecture (and Okazaki especially), were the home of Hacho Miso, a form of red Miso, in which I am familiar with from eating Aichi's famous Miso Katsu (Pork Cutlet with Miso Sauce). When I spotted this on the map, I immediately knew I wanted to go. The reviews looked good, and it was quite accessible.
The tour I took consisted of a comprehensive historical talk on Hacho Miso, and the chance to try some of the products. Of course I had to buy some to take home, and I had a chance to try Miso Cola!
Above: Inside of Maruya Hatcho Miso
2. Iwazu Tenmangu Shrine
Once again, good reviews and there were plenty of photos to spark my interest, I'm always curious about local shrines in the non-touristy areas of Japan. Due to the lack of tourists, you won't have to fight for space with the other tourists at such places like Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. Yes, this shrine is much smaller, but it was so pretty as the blossom had just started blooming, and the small, tranquil cafe was easy to get a seat.
Above: At the top of the stairs
Above: Torii and Fox statues. Foxes are known as the messengers of Inari, the god or spirit know to be primarily the protector of rice cultivation.
Above: Amazake & Dorayaki from the cafe in the shrine. The taste was exceptional!
In summation, using Google Maps to discover new places to visit can help you plan your trips more efficiently, provide you with detailed information about the location, personalise your suggestions based on your interests, and help you discover hidden gems in the area.
If it were not for Google Maps, my sense of adventure and an open mind, I would not have had the experiences I did in this small country city.
Don’t ever be afraid to jump out of your comfort zone and explore. There is no loss in experiencing something new, whether it be boring or great; you’ll only add on to your experiences. I personally cannot say through using this method of travel and exploration that I have ever had a bad experience, and I hope you will have similar experiences to myself.
Article written by Tony Devine
19/04/2023
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