Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
When I started making content online all those years ago, one of the goals I set for myself was to visit each and every one of Japan’s 47 prefectures. I had originally planned to complete the list by the end…
When it comes to Miyazaki, few places are more iconic than Takachiho. Tucked away in the northernmost part of the prefecture, deep in the central mountains of Kyushu, this area is home to legendary sites like Takachiho Gorge and Amano…
When it comes to Miyazaki, most people are only aware of the prefecture’s most iconic attractions, like Takachiho Gorge and Amano Iwato Shrine. Alas, there’s so much more to Miyazaki than just these well-known spots. For example, in the southern…
Recently, I ventured out to the Setouchi region of Japan to catch up with friends working in the local tourism industry. While there, we hit up a lesser-known festival in Hiroshima’s city of Fuchu that was complete with fireworks, musical…
Welcome to Ehime Prefecture’s Imabari City. Located in Shikoku on the far side of the famed Shimanami Kaido — a series of bridges that connects Shikoku with Japan’s main island of Honshu — this important shipbuilding town is the second-largest city in all of…
Previously, in my exhaustive exposé on Matsuyama City, I introduced the hot spring town of Dogo Onsen. Alas, as it was an overview of all things to see and do in the region, I didn’t really have time to go…
Despite living there for most of my adult life, Tokyo can be overwhelming. While you can find pockets of peace scattered throughout the prefecture (yes, Tokyo is a prefecture), the urban chaos is something I often feel the need to…
Let’s be frank. When it comes to springtime flowers in Japan, the cherry blossoms steal all of the limelight. Widely considered to be iconic of the country’s very year, millions of tourists flock to Japan to see these pink pretties.…
Every year, I travel north to Tohoku to chase the peak bloom of the cherry blossoms. You see, unlike in Tokyo, where the petals are all long gone by the middle of April, Japan’s northern reaches bloom a lot later…
Over the years, I’ve mentioned Hirosaki Castle Park on this blog a number of times now in other articles about the cherry blossoms, but I’ve never gotten around to featuring it. So, it’s high time that I get around to…
When it comes to cherry blossoms, Fukushima Prefecture is truly a fantastic place. Home to trees like the famed Miharu Takizakura, you’re truly spoiled for choice when it comes to springtime blossoms in Fukushima. That all said, while there are…
In recent years, I’ve been on something of a crusade to promote some of Japan’s lesser-known cherry blossom spots. You see, now that the pandemic is well behind us, places like Yoyogi Park and Chidorigafuchi are so painfully packed with…
Right now, it’s cherry blossom season in Japan, and it honestly feels like the entire world is here to soak in spring’s natural beauty. As someone who can’t stand crowds, though, the swarms of international visitors that descend on the…
I originally visited the city of Kumagaya in Saitama Prefecture as part of a five-day tour in the lead-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Arranged by the powers that be, the objective of this FAM trip was to promote…
In the fall of 2024, I was invited by the powers that be to join a two-day monitor tour. Our destination was a region known as Hanbara, nestled in the semi-rural town of Aikawa. Located in northern Kanagawa Prefecture, this…