Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
As long time readers, you may have noticed by now that I typically try to steer clear of introducing attractions in Kyoto. For one, the city tends to be overcrowded with visitors to the point where it has become akin…
Ladies and gentlemen, gather ‘round. It’s story time! Today we’ll be taking a look at the long-lost history of Oita Prefecture’s Usa Jingu. As far as I can tell, this is the first time the tragic tale of this amazing…
Much like everyone else on this planet, I absolutely love Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Taisha. Anyone who has visited knows there is just something ethereally awesome about that endless array of torii gates that is difficult to capture in words. However,…
When you’re sliding into firstAnd your pants begin to burstThat’s diarrhea, diarrhea — The Diarrhea Song First up, allow me to apologize. If you haven’t already realized, this is going to be a pretty shitty article. Scatological puns aside though, the…
Welcome back to another installment of my area guide series. Lately, it seems like I’m pounding out these incredibly in-depth articles at a breakneck pace. Today, we’ll be exploring Oita Prefecture in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s main islands. Often…
Welcome back to another installment of my area guides. In today’s post we’ll be venturing down to the San’in region for a visit to the marvelous Shimane Prefecture. Located on the westernmost end of Japan’s main island, this area has…
Are you on a diet or trying to eat more healthy? Well then, let me be frank, and say that this post is DEFINITELY not for you! Instead, I’ll direct you to this one which details how I lost over…
Though the Japanese love to opine about their wonderful and distinct four seasons, the island nation technically experiences five. Known as tsuyu in Japanese, this unofficial season loosely translates to rainy season in English. Typically, tsuyu runs from early June…
Japanese ryokan… Are they a quintessential experience or something that is totally overrated? If you do any digging online, you’ll find that many travel guides glorify staying at a ryokan as a “must-do” activity in Japan. That said, not all…
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…
When is the best time to visit Japan? Truth be told, I must get asked this question at least once a week. I still don’t have a good answer. You see, Japan is amazingly beautiful year-round; each of the four…
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…