Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
For the longest time, I’ve been itching to feature Hokkaido on this blog. Alas, the prefecture is just so expansive that I’ve struggled to figure out where to begin. Trying to fit all of Hokkaido into a single article is…
The islands of Okinawa are quickly becoming popular with overseas visitors. And even though Japan is not necessarily known as a beach resort destination, locales like Miyakojima and Ishigaki are making a name for themselves outside the domestic market. And…
For the past month or so, my entire feed on Instagram has been overtaken by red spider lilies. Known in Japanese as manjushage or higanbana (the term that I’ll opt to use from here on out), these flowers are synonymous…
Just recently, I had a harrowing realization while reviewing the locations that I’ve covered here on this blog thus far. Somehow, I had managed to skip featuring Shiga Prefecture’s charming town of Nagahama. Despite spending my most formative years nearby…
As I sit down to write this, it’s 6:00 AM on a Saturday morning and I am traveling on a bullet train bound for Shiga Prefecture in western Japan. Prior to opening up a new story in my editor, I…
Just how many hours had it been since I started making my arduous ascent toward the summit of Mt. Kumotori (lit. “Cloud Catcher Mountain”)? Somewhere along the way, I had switched off the active part of my mind for the…
For someone like myself claiming a serious addiction to Japan, there are countless areas in this amazing country that I treasure. For example, the northern Tohoku region will always hold a special place in my heart. Home to sacred sites…
Ever since I started producing travel content in 2016 (and indeed even before that), I have wanted to check out Wakayama Prefecture’s three ancient Kumano shrines. Allegedly dating back to before the founding of the Yamato polity and the imperial…
“This is really taking a long time…” I thought to myself while sitting on the Hashidate №1 limited express train bound for Kyoto’s Amanohashidate. Due to the heavy rains, my departure had been delayed by over an hour now. Little…
“Time is like a river that will take you forward into encounters with reality that will require you to make decisions. You can’t stop the movement down this river, you can’t avoid the encounters. You can only approach these encounters…
In 1853, on the 8th of July, the American navy steamed four of its mighty warships into the bay of the Shogun’s capital city. The crew carried an ultimatum for Japan to open up for trade. Though not the first…
Let’s face it. When it comes to tourism and Japanese history, the period of World War II often gets skipped over completely. While visitors to Japan do indeed flock to Hiroshima’s Atomic Bomb Dome, rarely do you see anyone seeking…
As anyone who has visited Tokyo before can attest, Japan’s capital city is like one of those Matryoshka dolls. Every time you think that you’ve reached the bottom of what Tokyo has to offer, it always surprises you with something…
Much like those who call themselves content travelers in the inbound tourism space, I am no stranger to Hiroshima. Alas, though I’ve been in (and through) the city numerous times, I’ve never really had a chance to savor Hiroshima’s lesser-known…
Tokyo just never ceases to amaze me. Every time I think that I’ve seen most of the spots that I want to, something new pops up on the proverbial radar. Simply put, this megalopolis is like an onion. Every time…