There’s something so alluring and almost enigmatic about Iya Valley, tucked up in the northern mountains of Tokushima Prefecture. Whether…
Lucy DaymanJanuary 29, 2021
Visit Shikoku's Yusuhara to see work by world-famous architect, Kego Kuma, a washi paper-making workshop, and breathtaking natural sceneries.
Lucy DaymanJanuary 29, 2021
The name Goto literally means 5 Islands, the number of islands the Goto Islands were traditionally said to contain. The…
Todd FongJanuary 28, 2021
‘Konnichiwa!” called the students enthusiastically, receiving my breathless replies with encouraging good humour. I was pedalling past each other on…
Lily Crossley-BaxterJanuary 19, 2021
With chickens clucking around my feet, I spot a perfect lemon up in the branches. Stretching, I snip with shears…
Lily Crossley-BaxterJanuary 19, 2021
Between beautiful views and fresh island produce, the Shimanami Kaido is an excellent cycling trip full of Japanese history. From Samurai…
Lily Crossley-BaxterJanuary 19, 2021
I’ve lived in Japan so long now and travelled so much around the country that I thought I might have…
Mark Brazil Ph.DDecember 18, 2020
There’s something surreal about driving through the countryside of southern Niigata Prefecture and suddenly seeing a giant window — complete with…
Patrick St. MichelDecember 3, 2020
“It takes two entire years to pass a taiko apprenticeship. That means no drinking, no smoking, no social media. Do…
Lucy DaymanDecember 3, 2020
The mist was the defining factor of my experience on Rishiri Island (利尻島, Rishiri-tō). It became a welcome companion to my explorations,…
Lily Crossley-BaxterDecember 3, 2020
“Canceled?” I asked, looking out to the blue skies across our coast-side hotel breakfast. It seemed unlikely, but our boat…
Lily Crossley-BaxterDecember 3, 2020
Learning the art of curling from a 79-year-old Japanese man had never really been on my bucket list, but it…
Lily Crossley-BaxterDecember 3, 2020
Us horse lovers all have something in common. Even on vacation in a foreign country, we feel we can't survive…
Yvonne TanakaNovember 25, 2020
Even as Japan and other parts of the world slowly begin to plan to reopen to tourism, there will continue…
Todd FongNovember 9, 2020
If we are being completely honest, nobody in the world would consider 2020 to be a "pretty good year." On…
Todd FongNovember 6, 2020
On a quiet road of Ojika Island, in the shadows of a Buddhist temple between the ancient pine forest on…
Todd FongNovember 6, 2020
From popular tourist spots to small picturesque villages, travelling by bike or by ferry to the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海)…
Marion PontOctober 7, 2020
Japanese gardens are designed to be contemplated, like true works of art. They offer a glimpse into nature and are…
Youmna JomaaSeptember 14, 2020
Roughly an hour and a half away from central Tokyo lie Hakone, a favourite day trip or weekend getaway for…
Lia YewJuly 18, 2020
Are you tired of the urban hustle and bustle of Tokyo? Or searching for some fresh, sweet-smelling air? Do you…
Amandine et MatthieuJune 19, 2020
A 3 Day Journey On The Hokkaido Shinkansen Have you ever taken a trip on the Shinkansen in Japan? It…
Mark WebsterMarch 19, 2020
Our bellies warm and sated, we gazed up at the heavens full of stars through the crisp Nagano night air,…
Todd FongMarch 17, 2020
There will come a time in a person's life when the rush of adrenaline to the body overcomes their common…
Todd FongMarch 17, 2020
I have a confession to make: I hate haunted houses. As a kid, the looming fear that something would come…
Mika CunninghamMarch 13, 2020
By the time we boarded the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano, my mother, who was visiting from America, had been touring…
Todd FongDecember 28, 2019
Sponsored by Sekikawa Village If you are going to make an excursion to experience the Japanese countryside, it would be…
Derek YamashitaDecember 27, 2019
Sponsored by Murakami City Located along the Sea of Japan about 4 hours from Tokyo is the small coastal city…
Derek YamashitaDecember 26, 2019
