Mika Cunningham, Author at VOYAPON

Mika Cunningham

Mika is a writer for Voyapon.com, and has been exploring the tradition, art and culture of everyday life in Japan since 2018. She is most likely sitting in an onsen right now.

31 articles

Articles by Mika Cunningham

Sakura Blossoms at Keiseki Park and Baby Blue Eyes in Nakatsu

March 27, 2025 Car Rentals, Cherry Blossoms, Gardens & Parks, Kyushu, Oita, Spring

Japan's love for sakura is undeniable. Every spring, the country eagerly anticipates the cherry blossom season, tracking peak bloom forecasts from sources like Earth Communication and Sakura Navi. Whether you are in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Hokkaido, it's easy to plan...

Eat as the Samurai Did 400 Years Ago in this UNESCO City of Gastronomy

March 13, 2024 Culture, Historic Sites, Oita, Souvenirs, Sponsored, Sweets

Explore Usuki, Japan’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy with preserved ginger treats and cuisine once dined on by the samurai!

snowy mountains and blue valley with bridge in fukushima prefecture, japan

A Romantic Train Ride Through Mountains, Bridges and a Cliffside Temple in Fukushima

March 8, 2023 Fukushima, Mountains, Rail Passes, Shinkansen, Souvenirs, Sponsored, Temples & Shrines, Tohoku

Fukushima’s Tadami Line is considered one of Japan’s most romantic train rides! Explore cliffside temples, private cottages and more during your train travel in Fukushuma Prefecture.

Sakurajima and Kagoshima’s Other Beautiful Natural Sceneries to See

February 10, 2023 Ferries, Kagoshima, Kyushu, Mountains, National Parks, Sponsored, Temples & Shrines, Volcanoes

Sakurajima may be one of Kagoshima’s most famous sights, but venture a little off-the-beaten-path and you’ll find no shortage of phenomenal subtropical natural sceneries to discover.

Travel the Happy Route: Two Sides of Japan Joining in the Sky

December 16, 2022 Airlines, Airports, Historic Sites, Izakaya, Okinawa, Okinawa, Okinawa, Okinawa, Sponsored, Sushi, Temples & Shrines, Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo

ℹ Advertorial There are few places where the allure of culture, nature, modernity, and tradition come together as they do in Japan. Go to the thriving mega-capital of Tokyo, and you’ll quickly find an embodiment of old-meets-new unlike any you...

From Glamping to Kinosaki Onsen: Highlights of Northern Kyoto and Hyogo

March 29, 2022 Historic Sites, Hyogo, Kaiseki, Kyoto, Kyoto, Kyoto, Rail Passes, Ryokan, Shinkansen, Sponsored, Temples & Shrines, Vegetarian & Vegan

There’s hardly a traveler to Japan who hasn’t thought about, read, or traveled to Kyoto’s cultural capital or Hyogo’s Himeji Castle. But anyone looking for an excursion outside of these hotspots will find an alluring assortment of food, history, and...

Winter in Japan: A Historic Seafood Tour from Fukui’s Mackerel Road to Kyoto’s Amanohashidate

March 29, 2022 Culture, Fukui, Kyoto, Kyoto, Museums & Galleries, Nature, Near Osaka and Kyoto, Rail Passes, Sake & Alcohol, Sashimi, Sponsored, Sushi, Winter

If a visit to Japan in winter has escaped your radar until now, cozying up in local restaurants as you indulge in a rich seafood heritage and breathtaking winter sceneries in northern Kyoto and Fukui's southern Wakasa region will quickly...

Kuju Flower Park: When is the Best Time to Visit and What Are the Seasonal Flowers?

March 9, 2022 Gardens & Parks, Kyushu, National Parks, Oita, Sponsored, Spring, Summer

Ask me where my favorite place to visit is in Kyushu, and without hesitation, I would tell you it’s the Aso-Kuju National Park. Volcanic landscapes, golden marshlands with gentle walking trails, and mountain-top onsen make up only a tiny portion...

woman in interactive light and sound art museum in Nagasakibana, Oita, Japan

Nagasakibana: Oita’s Secret Sunflower Fields and Art-Infused Destination You Have to See

March 9, 2022 Beaches & Islands, Gardens & Parks, Kyushu, Museums & Galleries, Oita, Sponsored, Summer

It’s no secret that I love Oita. Of course, I might be a little biased, but as a resident here for the past three years, I can’t get over its seemingly endless treasures hidden in every corner of this prefecture,...

From Kinosaki Onsen to Amanohashidate: Ride a Gourmet Sightseeing Train in Japan

January 5, 2022 Kaiseki, Kyoto, Kyoto, Kyoto, Rail Passes, Sake & Alcohol, Shinkansen, Sponsored, Yakiniku 3 Comments

Whenever I think back on my first experiences of Japanese train travel, it’s never the 300 kph speeds or the bottlenose design of the shinkansen bullet train that come to mind. For me, it’s all about the culinary experience. Cracking open a...

man in Japanese style tatami room with view of garden

The Best of Kitakinki, Beyond Amanohashidate and Kinosaki Onsen

January 5, 2022 Castles, Fukui, Historic Sites, Hyogo, Kyoto, Kyoto, Nature & Outdoors, Near Osaka and Kyoto, Rail Passes, Shinkansen, Sponsored

From the picturesque canals of Kinosaki Onsen to Amanohashidate's pine-covered sandbar, the Kitakinki (北近畿) region has everything necessary to make it onto Japan's "top 10 places to visit" lists. While these two destinations may be the region’s most famous, a...

Nabana no Sato Winter Illuminations in Nagoya

February 8, 2021 Fireworks, Gardens & Parks, Hotel Brunches & Afternoon Teas, Luxury Accommodation, Mie, Nagoya, Near Osaka and Kyoto, Sponsored, Winter

If a spacious botanical garden or a tunnel of pink cherry blossoms conjures up images of warmer months in Japan, add another spectacle to your list for winter. At Nabana no Sato (なばなの里), you'll witness over 26,000 square meters of...

thatched roof of traditional japanese house Gessho village, Gifu, Japan

Gifu Prefecture: The Best Old Japan Experiences to See in Two Days

February 8, 2021 Anime & Manga, Culture, Gifu, Historic Sites, Onsen & Sento, Rail Passes, Ryokan, Sake & Alcohol, Shinkansen, Sponsored, Takayama

From pictorial villages of traditional thatched-roof houses to one of Japan’s beloved onsen hot spring towns, a visit to Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県) is ripe with opportunities to discover an older way of life in Japan. The strikingly picturesque Takayama may take the...

Staying Connected in Japan with WiFi and Data

July 11, 2020 Communication, First Time in Japan, Money, Saving Tips

As wireless connectivity becomes an even more indispensable tool for many overseas travellers, Japan has answered this call by steadily expanding its free WiFi and public hotspots locations throughout its major centres. Hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, train stations, and shopping...

A Guide to the Best Discount Travel and Rail Passes to Japan on a Budget

July 10, 2020 Chiba, Kanagawa, Rail Passes, Saitama, Shinkansen, Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo

With Japan's famously efficient public transportation systems and its down-to-the-minute punctuality, it's no wonder why it's the number one way for many visitors to travel throughout Japan. While the Japan Rail Pass allows foreign visitors to travel across the whole...

Getting Help in Japan: Medical, Criminal and Natural Disasters

July 9, 2020 First Time in Japan, Health Insurance, Safety

You're in the middle of preparing for your exciting trip to Japan – the last thing you may want to think about is planning for an unexpected medical, natural disaster, or criminal-related emergency that may get thrown at you. While...

People sitting on the ground under the Wisteria tunnel at Senzai Park, Oita

Wisteria Fuji Tunnels and Other Things to See at Oita’s Senzai Park

April 4, 2020 Cherry Blossoms, Gardens & Parks, Kyushu, Oita, Spring

It's an indisputable fact that the Japanese people love their seasonal blossoms, and the yearly blooms of wisteria are no exception. Hot on the heels of the annual cherry blossoms in March, the woody vines of the wisteria (also known...

Mika customizing her Kurotani washi paper in Japan

Traditional Japanese Craft of Kurotani Washi Paper in Kyoto

March 19, 2020 Culture, Kyoto, Kyoto, Kyoto, Souvenirs, Sponsored

Ohhhh, hand-made paper. I remember going through and feeling my mother's old collection of Japanese washi papers as a kid, loving the texture of the delicate veins of natural fibres weaved into a smooth layer. I even went through a...

Japanese Pottery Craft Culture in Hyogo’s Tamba Ware

March 19, 2020 Culture, Historic Sites, Hyogo, Kansai, Sponsored

When I was a kid, my mother thought it was best to keep my brother and I occupied with a myriad of craft-making camps and workshops that filled our summer vacations. What probably started as a crafty (cough, cough pun...

Nature, History and Accommodation in Fukui’s Obama City and Hibiki Terraced Rice Fields

March 14, 2020 Beaches & Islands, Culture, Fukui, Historic Sites, Sponsored

GAH! MONKEYS!!! It was quite the surprise to stumble into a group of wild monkeys at Hibiki Terraced Rice Fields, and I stood frozen in place as they scattered into the surrounding countryside. It marked a brief but lively interlude...

Mika standing in Maizuru's water filtration plant

History and Architecture at Maizuru Red Brick Park

March 14, 2020 Culture, Historic Sites, Kyoto, Kyoto, Kyoto, Language, Museums & Galleries, Sponsored

In the beautiful stretch of coastal scenery in northern Kyoto prefecture (京都府), lies a port town of lovely red brick buildings at Maizuru (舞鶴) Brick Park. Facing the Sea of Japan (日本海), Maizuru was originally a fishing village before turning into...

Traditional Japanese House Umetan FUJI, Tamba-Sasayama

Staying At a Traditional Japanese House in Tamba Sasayama’s Umetan FUJI

March 14, 2020 Costs, Culture, Hyogo, Kansai, Ryokan, Sponsored

“Watch out for those deer!” I whispered, as a herd suddenly skipped across the road in the dark. It was a moonless night in Hyogo prefecture’s Tamba Sasayama (丹波篠山) as we headed to our accommodations at Umetan Fuji for the...

Amanohashidate: A Bridge to Heaven at One of the Three Views of Japan

March 14, 2020 Beaches & Islands, Historic Sites, Kyoto, Kyoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Mountains, Sponsored, Temples & Shrines

Japan is a country of lists. Top five cities. Top ten shrines. Top 100 ramen joints… you get the picture. So it didn’t surprise me when I started researching the famous sight of Amanohashidate (天橋立) in northern Kyoto, that I...

Traditional Japanese Soba Buckwheat noodle set menu in Izushi Castle town in Hyogo

Soba Noodles Eating Tour in Izushi Castle Town, Hyogo

March 13, 2020 Castles, Culture, Historic Sites, Hyogo, Soba, Sponsored, Summer

"Itadakimasu!” With my stomach already dangerously at capacity, I dove into my last order of soba (buckwheat) noodles in the Japanese castle town of Izushi (出石). As my favourite go-to cold noodle dish during the summer months in Japan, I'm...

Tourists walking down Fukusumi district of Tamba-Sasayama

The Entrepreneurial Spirit of Tamba Sasayama Castle Town

March 13, 2020 Culture, Historic Sites, Hyogo, Kyoto, Kyoto, Kyoto, Osaka, Osaka, Osaka, Sake & Alcohol, Sponsored

It was a day of wind and rain — not exactly the ideal weather for a photoshoot in Hyogo Prefecture's (兵庫県) Tamba Sasayama (丹波篠山市). Home to a rich 400-year old history, this Japanese castle town includes a unique pottery culture,...

Chasing Rainbows and Facing Fears at Takeda Castle Ruins and Ikuno Silver Mine

March 13, 2020 Castles, Historic Sites, Hyogo, Mountains, Sponsored, Spring

I have a confession to make: I hate haunted houses. As a kid, the looming fear that something would come to life and jump out at me from the dark terrified me to the core. So you can imagine my...

Indulge in the Regional Flavors and Private Spa at Kinosaki Onsen

March 13, 2020 Clothing, Culture, Hyogo, Kansai, Onsen & Sento, Ryokan, Soba, Sponsored

I might not have been the image of grace stomping along in my inch-high geta sandals. But it completed my yukata and onsen hopping outfit, as I clip-clopped along the willow-lined canal of Kinosaki Onsen (城崎温泉). With the luminous lantern...

The Architectural History of Kote-e Reliefs in Ajimu, Oita

November 20, 2019 Culture, Historic Sites, Oita

When I think of the onsen rich prefecture of Oita, three distinctive features come to mind: I think of the coastal cities of Beppu and Oita. I think of the velvet greenery of rolling landscapes. And I also think about...

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Articles by Mika Cunningham

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