As you’ve probably realised, the team at World Words likes to travel. It is rare a week goes by without one of our writers or editors jetting off for an adventure. And it’s not just that we like to travel; we also like to share our travel experiences with anybody who might care to read them. It’s the reason we began this Our Travels blog series, in which our team members recount their tales of mini-breaks, short vacations and vast road trips, both near and far.

Since we began the series last year, we’ve recounted trips to such varied destinations as Dubai, Girona, Iceland and the Isle of Harris. Now, it’s the turn of our senior content editor Mandy, who recalls a two-week trip to Japan.

Mandy with tanuki, the good luck raccoon-dog statues, ubiquitous at Japan’s shop and bar entrances.