CultureThings to Know Horimono: The History of Traditional Japanese Tattoos Horimono (彫物) is a little-known term to the rest of the tattoo world but is one of the most used…Gaël FaulconnierFebruary 3, 2024
ChubuCultureSponsored The Innovative Spirit of Hamamatsu, from Japan’s First Shogun to Makers of Instruments & Motorcycles From an Evangelion-themed train, a traditional cotton weaving heritage, to makers of motorcycles and grand pianos, Hamamatsu's culture of innovation…Todd FongMarch 27, 2023
ActivitiesCultureKyushuSponsored Kagoshima Day Trips: Sightseeing Trains, Subtropical Gardens, and More Kyushu's most southern prefecture, Kagoshima (鹿児島), is a beautiful place packed with interesting bits of Kagoshima history, culture, and subtropical…Cassandra LordMarch 22, 2023
ActivitiesCultureFoodKantoSponsored The Best Examples of Sustainable Tourism in Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, & Kanagawa Sustainable tourism, societal impact, and culture and legacy preservation are crucial aspects of modern travel. As we explore new destinations…Toshiko SakuraiMarch 16, 2023
AccommodationCultureKansaiShoppingSponsored The New Golden Route: Discover Hidden Kyoto and Osaka with the Hokuriku Arch Pass While the cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka continue to get the lion’s share of overseas tourists to Japan, few…Todd FongFebruary 2, 2023
ActivitiesCultureKansaiSponsored The New Golden Route: Discover Gifu, Fukui, and Shiga with the Hokuriku Arch Pass In the modern age of international tourism to Japan, Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka capture the vast majority of foreign visitors,…Todd FongFebruary 2, 2023
ActivitiesCultureKantoSightseeingSponsored The New Golden Route: Discover Tokyo, Saitama, and Gunma with the Hokuriku Arch Pass While Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka remain high on the list of many visitors embarking on their travel to Japan, few…Cassandra LordFebruary 2, 2023
AccommodationActivitiesCultureKyushu Why the Goto Islands Are Japan’s Irresistible Travel Destination Near the geological center of Goto’s Fukue Island, there is a tiny general store catering to the locals living in…Todd FongJanuary 31, 2023
ActivitiesChubuCultureSightseeing Exploring Ishikawa, the Land of Kutani Ware Ceramics Here's how to spend a day in Ishikawa's pottery village shopping, making traditional ceramics, & eating a tasty sushi dinner…Cassandra LordNovember 2, 2022
CultureEventsThings to Know Anime, Manga, and Video Games: The Otaku Events You Shouldn’t Miss in Japan Are you an anime, manga, cosplay or video game lover? Here are the top otaku cultural events you have to…Anna ToccoliSeptember 14, 2022
CultureThings to Know Chado: Where All Forms of Japanese Art Meet My introduction to the world of Japanese tea ceremony (茶道, chado) took place during my first visit to Japan in 2016. Everywhere…Natalie LeonAugust 22, 2022
CultureThings to Know How to Say Happy Birthday in Japanese In Japan, as well as in many other countries, birthdays are a reason for celebration. But has it always been…Chiara CampanileAugust 18, 2022
CultureThings to Know Seasons in Japan: What are they and when is the best time to visit Japan? What is the climate like in Japan? What temperatures should you expect when traveling in different seasons? And what is…Daniela TravagliniJuly 26, 2022
CulturePerspectivesSightseeing Five Great Books to Accompany You to Five Destinations in Japan I am a fan of travel blogs and conventional guide books and possibly, one of the last few on earth…Burcu BasarJuly 21, 2022
Culture Religion in Japan: What is the main religion in Japan? “A Japanese is born as a Shinto, marries as a Christian, and dies as a Buddhist.” This looks impossible, but…Maria PeñascalMay 24, 2022
CultureKyushuSightseeing A Visit to Unganzenji Temple and the Legendary Swordsman Miyamoto Musashi Cave in Kumamoto When talking about Kumamoto (熊本), the first image that comes to mind is probably Kumamon, the city's cuddly black bear…Stefania Da PontApril 8, 2022
CulturePop Culture Art, Beauty, and Tragedy: The Legacy of Isao Takahata The year is 1952. The revolution that will radically transform Japanese animation into what we know today is taking place…Toshiko SakuraiMarch 28, 2022
ActivitiesCultureKansaiSponsored Trekking out a spiritual journey through the Kii Mountain Range In ancient times, the Kii Peninsula, south of Osaka and Kyoto, was known as the land of the gods, and…Don KennedyFebruary 25, 2022
ActivitiesChugokuCultureSponsored Discover Iwami Kagura, the Traditional Shinto Dance in Western Shimane Prefecture Japan is a country rich in culture and rituals that change with every new region. This makes traveling through the…Claudia MitsuboriFebruary 22, 2022
AccommodationActivitiesChubuCultureFoodKansaiKantoSightseeingSponsored Adventure and Luxury Await on Japan’s New Golden Route Between Tokyo and Kyoto There's more than one way to get from Tokyo to Kyoto. You could, for example, hop on a Shinkansen at…Todd FongFebruary 9, 2022
AccommodationActivitiesCultureFoodKyushuSightseeingSponsored An Epic Four-Day Itinerary for a Taste of Extraordinary Kyushu Adventure is calling your name, and it's called Kyushu. Japan's westernmost island is a natural paradise of geothermic hot springs,…Todd FongJanuary 31, 2022
ActivitiesChubuCultureFoodShoppingSponsored Traveling the TAKUMI Road: A Journey through 4 Cities with the Master Artisans of Japan Part 2: Takaoka and Echizen The TAKUMI Road runs along Japan's western coast, collectively known as Hokuriku, from Fukui to Niigata prefectures. It is centered…Todd FongJanuary 15, 2022
ActivitiesChugokuCultureSponsored Historical and Gastronomical Experience in Okayama With a distinct culture developed under the warmth of the Seto Inland climate, Okayama Prefecture (岡山県) has a rich heritage…Toshiko SakuraiJanuary 5, 2022
AccommodationChugokuCultureSightseeingSponsored Discover Setouchi’s Beauty Through Art and Architecture In the quest for a place’s identity, Setouchi asked itself what it wanted to be and found its answer to…Toshiko SakuraiJanuary 5, 2022
ActivitiesCultureSponsoredTohoku A Forest Tour with a Traditional Matagi Winter Hunter in Shirakami-Sanchi Shirakami-Sanchi tour guide, Yukio Koike, moved to Aomori Prefecture 33 years ago to study Environmental Science at Hirosaki University. The…Don KennedyDecember 28, 2021
ActivitiesCultureFoodShikokuSponsored Hands-On With Shikoku’s Traditional Arts and Crafts As a travel writer, I admit to often focusing too much on the incredible things to see in Japan. It…Todd FongDecember 23, 2021
AccommodationCultureFoodShikokuSightseeingSponsored Could Kochi Be Japan’s Best Kept Secret? I could try to convince you about the many virtues of Kochi Prefecture (高知県), but instead, I'll leave that to…Todd FongDecember 23, 2021
ActivitiesCultureShoppingSponsored Traveling the TAKUMI Road: A Journey through 4 Cities with the Master Artisans of Japan Part 1: Tsubame Sanjo Hinoura Tsukasa turned the blade over in his hands, his keen eye taking in every detail of his handiwork. Each…Todd FongDecember 20, 2021