Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
Think you know Nara? Think again! Today we will be traveling back in time to a period long before Nara became the capital of Japan in 710. We’ll be examining the Asuka area and the period of time from 538–710…
Dear passengers in transit to Asia & those flying out of Narita… Did you know that the area surrounding one of the major entry points to Japan is actually host to an impressive collection of attractions and adventures? That’s right…
Are you sick and tired of Tokyo’s neon-lit concrete jungle? Well, I’ve got just the day-long excursion for you! Known as Chichibu, this idyllic destination is located to the northwest of the capital up in Saitama Prefecture. Though often looked…
Ah springtime in Japan… Few things can compare to this country’s beauty when its legendary cherry blossoms begin to flower. Only around for a brief period of time, this highly treasured part of spring has been much beloved throughout Japanese…
Welcome back to another installment of my in-depth area guide series. As always, we’ll be diving deep to ensure that you’re properly equipped to venture off the beaten path without incident. Today we’ll be looking at the rustic and rather…
Located deep in northern Japan, Yamagata Prefecture was once the kind of place that rarely welcomed foreign tourists. For years, it flew almost entirely under the radar, known mainly to domestic travelers and the occasional adventurous visitor. These days, however,…
As you may have gleaned from the headline, today we’ll be journeying back to one of my all time favorite spots in Japan, Kamakura. I’ve traversed many of Japan’s diverse prefectures but few places have managed to so capture my…
Quick! Name the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word Tokyo. If, like most people, you didn’t immediately think of hiking or mountains, well then I have a bit of a surprise for you. You see,…
Have you ever heard of “industrial tourism?” Yeah, I didn’t think so… Truth be told, I hadn’t encountered the term either until recently when I was invited by the government to go check out Aichi Prefecture’s budding scene. According to…
Ah, Nikko… Few popular locations are simultaneously both well-known by many tourists and at the same time so egregiously misunderstood. On that note, I’d like to welcome you back to another installment of my area guides. I’ll be diving into…
Several astute readers have noticed lately that I have been trying to focus on establishing distinct tourism destinations. While locales such as Kamakura, Hakone, and Nikko linger on the radars of more informed foreign visitors, they are rarely, if ever,…
The island of Miyajima is one of the most popular attractions in all of Japan. Located to the west of Hiroshima city, the island welcomes boatloads of tourists every day (and even its own Starbucks as of 2017). The island…
This week, we are traveling back in time to follow the footsteps of Nikko’s founder, the Buddhist saint Shodo Shonin. Unfortunately, the vast majority of travelers to Nikko gloss over this hidden narrative and instead make a beeline for the…
And… we are off on another adventure! In this article we’ll take a look at one of my favorite hidden gems, Kashima Jingu. Much like Nagoya’s Atsuta Jingu, this ancient shrine hides a long-forgotten legacy. The shrine lays claim to…
The bayside city of Yokohama is one of my all time favorite getaways from Tokyo. While I often head out to the prefectures for much needed retreats, Yokohama has been my go-to choice for an urban escape for quite a…