Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
Today, I’d like to talk to you about Kumano — no, not that Kumano in Wakayama. Instead, this time, we’re going to look at the sleepy town of Kumano in Hiroshima Prefecture. Likely, most of you have never heard of this hamlet…
More and more, the prefecture of Okayama is starting to pop up on the radars of international visitors to Japan. Conveniently located on the way to Hiroshima, it seems many more people are getting wise to why one might want…
For the longest time, I thought that I was cursed by Okayama Prefecture. After all, I had good reason for this belief. Until recently, every single time that I visited the prefecture, Okayama somehow found some way to almost kill…
“Where is your luggage, Donny?” the guide from JTB asked as I exited the airport with nothing in tow. I sighed, knowing that this one was going to need some serious explaining. You see, I had just landed at Kansai…
It’s been more than a decade since the triple disasters of 2011 wreaked havoc on Japan’s Tohoku region. Even today, many people still fear traveling to Fukushima Prefecture due to some ill-formed notion that they’d be at risk of radiation…
Last year, while escorting a few journalists from the UK as part of my ongoing work with the Setouchi DMO, I had the chance to finally visit the impressive Kosan-ji temple complex. Located along the Shimanami Kaido on the island…
If you pay attention to Instagram at all, chances are you’ve already seen shots of the annual Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival floating around online. Generally running from mid-February to early March, this celebration is a herald of what comes later…
Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of work with a brand called Weave Living as my digital marketer and online media buyer alter ego. The company provides hassle-free accommodations to expats as well as Japanese individuals who don’t want to…
At the beginning of January 2024, I embarked on an epic, five-day-long adventure across much of northern Japan. While the primary goal was to produce three reels to promote the JR East Pass (Tohoku Area), I also wanted to see…
Despite being just around 40 minutes to the south of Kansai International Airport, too few foreign tourists ever make it down to Wakayama City. Truth be told, until recently, even I was among the ranks of those who had yet…
If you spend any time at all browsing Instagram for wintertime Japan travel content, you’ve likely come across the Zao Fox Village during a doom scroll. Located in Shiroishi City on the Miyagi side of Mt. Zao, this gem up…
Welcome back to another installment of Backyard Tourism. If this is your first time reading one of these articles, know that the goal of this ongoing series is to take places that no one knows about and show how storytelling…
In terms of inbound tourism, Shimane is already a prefecture well off the beaten path. Though it does attract some international visitors thanks to the presence of the venerable Izumo Taisha, Shimane’s charms are worlds away from the overcrowded streets…
These days, Wakayama Prefecture really needs no introduction. Ever since the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range were lauded with their UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004, tourists have been flocking to the likes of Mt.…
When I started producing content many years ago, Kanazawa, the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, was still largely unknown to inbound tourists. While die-hard fans of Japan were likely aware, few first-timers had any real notion that such a place…