Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know by now that the vaunted Japan Rail Pass, which provides unlimited rides on all JR trains, saw a significant price increase in 2023. What’s more, many of the regional offerings…
By now, I think I’ve said this more times than I care to count, but there is simply so much more to Hiroshima Prefecture than most people realize. You see, far too many overseas visitors only ever stop by the…
Recently, I took a group of my fellow content creators up to Hokkaido to visit the luxury resort Muwa Niseko. Located in Hokkaido’s skiing capital, this amazing facility is one that I’ve been supporting as a consultant this year regarding…
Since Japan became one of the hottest travel destinations in the world, the collection of shrines and temples in the Nikko area has skyrocketed in popularity. Awarded the honor of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, landmarks like…
It’s no secret that I really, really, REALLY love the southern tip of Wakayama Prefecture’s Kii Peninsula. Home to a trinity of sacred shrines known as the Kumano Sanzan, this part of Japan is steeped in ancient history. Recently, I…
“The only way out is through…” — Jordan B. Peterson “Hold up, has it really already been almost a year?” I thought to myself as I looked down at the calendar, bewildered. Seemingly in the blink of an eye, it was…
In late 2024, I had the chance to visit Nihonmatsu in Fukushima Prefecture as part of a government initiative to encourage more tourists heading to Tohoku to stop by along the way. Truth be told, until this opportunity came up,…
You know, somehow, I completely neglected to do an Aomori area guide thus far. Though I did indeed cover a lot of what the city has to offer in my article about autumn in the prefecture, I guess I just…
For some time now, I’ve been escaping to Chiba Prefecture whenever I needed a break from the madness. Most famously, the seaside town of Katsuura saved me from complete and utter burnout back in 2022, and ever since, Chiba has…
These days, popular spots in Kyoto, such as Arashiyama and Kiyomizu-dera, have succumbed so badly to overtourism that they’re hardly recognizable anymore. Though this was already becoming an issue prior to the pandemic, these places have now reached a point…
One period of Japanese history that has always fascinated me is the unraveling of the Tokugawa shogunate’s hegemony during the mid-1800s. Known now as the Bakumatsu, this historical arc contains so much action that it would be difficult to even…
When I originally published my in-depth primer on Akita Prefecture, I thought I had covered it all. Alas, as is always the case with Japan, no endeavor to thoroughly introduce a place is ever fully complete. In my foolishness, I…
The city of Shimonoseki has LONG been on my bucket list, but for one reason or another, it took me forever to finally get there. As you’ll understand after reading this article, I’m quite ashamed to admit that I should…
If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve likely seen plenty of pictures of Motonosumi Inari Shrine. Located along the coast of the Sea of Japan in Yamaguchi Prefecture, this Shinto sanctuary is one of the most photogenic spots…
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably already heard about the massive tourism boom Japan is experiencing. Driven by a weak yen and a deluge of social media-induced FOMO, it seems like everyone, their mother, and even their…