Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
Today, we’ll be venturing back to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Though this city is already somewhat of an off of the beaten path destination, the topic of this article is an even more obscure hidden gem (at least as far…
Welcome back to another one of my crazy adventures in Japan. Today, we’ll be taking a look at Mt. Myogi and Myogi Shrine, the ancient sanctuary that sits atop this mysterious mountain. Found in the westernmost reaches of Gunma Prefecture,…
The other week, I found myself in Kyoto for client-related work reasons. While I’d of course not pass up the chance to enjoy the city’s cherry blossoms, the primary purpose of my trip was professional. Still, I am a travel…
For a hot minute now, Shizuoka Prefecture’s city of Hamamatsu has been on my bucket list. Though I first got to visit back in 2021 for Tokyo Creative’s #HostTownRelay, I really never had enough time to thoroughly explore all of…
Hail and well met travelers! Rather than take you on yet another adventure to some rural region, I’ll instead be looking to detail in this piece everything that you need to know to thoroughly enjoy Japanese alcohol. While I do…
Unfortunately, most overseas visitors to Japan only ever experience Nara as a day-long excursion from Osaka or Kyoto. As soon as these travelers arrive in the city, they make a beeline for attractions like Todai-ji’s Daibutsu and the venerable Kasuga…
Recently, I took part in what is locally referred to as a “monitor tour” to assess the viability of a new route that the government and railway companies are considering. The other participants and I started in Tokyo’s Taito Ward…
Note: Due to the challenges of getting enough craftsmen onboard, this project is currently on the back burner. Once I can better solve the conundrum of shipping logistics, I will look to revisit Our Japan with a renewed vigor. For…
As of right now, it’s early 2022. Pretty soon, we’ll be coming up on the two year mark since Japan closed its borders to outside visitors. While the reprieve from overtourism has been a much needed breath of fresh air…
As of this writing, it’s the first week of 2022. That means that we’re quickly coming up on the two year mark since foreign tourists have been prohibited from entering Japan. Seeing as I am a writer who has the…
There I was, about an hour into my evening trek up to the top of Mt. Inari upon which Fushimi Inari Taisha resides. As I steeled my resolve for the final few torii-lined steps to the summit, I was met…
Japan always manages to surprise me. Every time that I think that I’ve FINALLY crossed an area off of my now 6,000 item-long bucket list, I somehow manage to uncover more allures in the region. For example, I was recently…
A few weeks ago, while browsing the endless list of locales that I want to see in Japan, I realized that I had somehow managed to not feature Gero Onsen. Seeing as it is considered to be one of the…
Today, I’d like to introduce you to Omiwa Shrine, a spiritual sanctuary that has long been on my bucket list. Found in the southern portions of Nara Prefecture, this ancient sepulcher is regularly considered to be Japan’s oldest shrine. The…
“What are you doing tomorrow?” I asked. To be honest, it wasn’t really a question but more of a formality. “Ummm—I have…” she retorted before I cut her off with a definitive “You can do that later. We’re going on…