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Japan is known as an “Island Nation” because it does not share a border with any country. That tends to make you feel that domestic travel is simple and close to home, even if you actually travel some distance, because you never leave “the island”. Domestic travel feels less expensive, too: Japan is a relatively small country, and so a trip to a far-flung corner of it is just a bigger version of a trip to the local convenience store.

But, of course, “Island Nation” really should be plural, “Islands Nation”, because there are many islands. There are the four huge islands that are collectively known as the Japanese mainland, but there are thousands and thousands more.

Some are much further from the mainland than others.

A couple of years ago we spent the early-May Golden-Week holidays in snowy Hokkaido. Last year I took Anthony camping. This year we're heading south.

We're heading off tomorrow on a short trip to one of the “further” islands, Ishigaki Island. It's a domestic trip – no passports or three-hour-ahead-checkin required – but during this trip, we'll be closer to Taipei than some people in Taiwan. And everyone in Korea, North or South, will be closer to our house than we will.

I've packed a few pairs of shorts, a Bill Bryson book my mom sent for my birthday earlier in the month, and (of course!) my camera and a small selection of lenses....

Back in less than a week....