Program 567: Hokkaido; Arctic Solitaire; Bloomsday in Dublin

Get tips from an American-Japanese author for experiencing the rugged allure of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. Then hear from a nature photographer what it's like to spend a summer boating up Hudson Bay in search of polar bears. And learn all about how Dubliners celebrate Bloomsday — good fun even if you still haven't finished Ulysses.

• Ruthy Kanagy, author of "Living Abroad: Japan" (Moon-Avalon Travel)
• Photographer Paul Souders, author of "Arctic Solitude" (Mountaineers Books)
• Irish tour guide Joe Darcy, from Dublin

• Ruthy Kanagy was raised on the island of Hokkaido in Japan.  Her guidebook, "Living Abroad: Japan," is in its fourth edition.
• Ruthy posts from her bike tours on Facebook at Japan Cycle Tours. Her next scheduled bike tour of Hokkaido is in July 2020.
• Photographer Paul Souders has spent his recent summers sailing in the Canadian Arctic, looking for photos ops with wildlife.  He includes his photos with notes from his adventures in his book "Arctic Solitaire."
• Paul Souders won top place in the National Geographic Photography Contest in 2013.
• Joe Darcy offers themed walking tours of Dublin.
• Pilgrimage sites in Dublin for Bloomsday on June 16 include Davy Byrne's Pub, which was a favorite of writer James Joyce, and the historic Sweny's Pharmacy, where you can buy a bar of lemon soap, or listen to an early afternoon reading from one of Joyce's works.
• Rick suggests the rooftop Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse has one of the best views of Dublin.