Prologue: J-K 2026

What follows hereafter are the stories and photos of our 2026 travels through Japan and South Korea. Visiting Japan is a first time for the both of us. Visiting South Korea is a first for Patrise, although Doug has been twice before, both times as business trips. I thought to give this journey some kind of cutesy name like “JaKorea”, in the fashion of celebrity name mashups, e.g. “Bennifer” for Ben Affleck and Jenifer Anniston, when they were an item. I don’t want to spell out Japan-South Korea every time we refer to them in the blog. So, I (Doug) have decided to split the difference. This category of blog entries will be entitled “J-K 2026,” as shorthand for Japan and South Korea 2026.

We hope you enjoy reading and following along…