Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
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…
I’ll be straight with you, Kagoshima Prefecture is pretty cool. Comprising all of southern Kyushu, this part of Japan is blessed both with a rich history and beautiful nature. Though these days, Kagoshima is most well known for the role…
One summer, we were having our regular Baemeshi (a media company I set up with Kyodo PR, my former employer) for the month of July with the now-chairman when he mentioned that he had just recently made a pilgrimage to…
Welcome back to another installment of getting far off the beaten path. In this issue, we’ll be exploring a hidden gem in Kyushu known as the Kuma Valley. This area essentially maps to the confines of Hitoyoshi City (or more…
It was late February, and we were taking refuge from the cold at a ski lodge up in the Appi Highlands of Iwate. Outside, soft, powdery snow fluttered down tenderly from the heavens above. The journey that led us here…
Recently, I was down in Hitoyoshi City in Kumamoto’s Kuma Valley for a creator gig. Not wanting to waste an opportunity to explore more of Kyushu, I decided to extend my time in the area and cross Miyazaki Prefecture off…
Let me preface this article by saying that this one is going to be quite different from my usual area guides. While I will certainly be detailing the significance of Mt. Omine and its ancient temple complex of Ominesan-ji throughout,…
“Why the hell am I watching Initial D… On TikTok of all place!?!?” I was 45 minutes into a rather bad doom scroll, and the Algorithm Allfather had somehow decided that I was into an anime about car racing (I…
Just as is the case with the cherry blossoms, Japan has a lot of amazing locations for the hydrangea season. Over the years, I’ve been to many of the popular spots like Kamakura’s Meigetsu-in, but few places can compare with…
Ever since first reading the Japanese historical novelist Yoshikawa Eiji’s book Musashi, I’ve had a bit of an obsession with Japan’s most notorious swordsman. Known to history as Miyamoto Musashi, this famed fencer from the early days of the Edo…
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, you’ve probably already heard that Japan has a bit of an overtourism problem. As you might imagine, the issue is especially prevalent in the big cities, with Kyoto in particular bearing much…