January 11, 2026
Is Ritsurin Koen the Most Beautiful Garden in Japan?
Why the achingly beautiful Ritsurin Koen isn't one of Japan's Three Great Gardens is beyond me.
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December 15, 2025
This Way to Ogimachi (Shirakawa-go)
Ogimachi Village in Shirakawa-go is often described as the most beautiful village in Japan, if not all of Asia.
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December 10, 2025
Hiking Yamanobe-no-michi, the Oldest Recorded Road in Japan
Yamanobe-no-michi is a quiet countryside trail that winds through rural Nara, past ancient shrines, farm villages, and forested hillsides.
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September 22, 2025
This Way to Lake Biwa
Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. Located entirely in Shiga Prefecture, it measures approximately 64 km (40 miles) from north to south.
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September 16, 2025
Exploring Namba
Namba's dizzying mix of neon-lit signs, shopping arcades, and mind-numbing selection of street food is what made me fall in love with Osaka in the first place.
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September 12, 2025
This Way to Iga Ueno
Iga Ueno is a city in Mie Prefecture famous for its ninja heritage. Together with Koka in Shiga Prefecture, it's recognized as the birthplace of ninja culture in Japan
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September 10, 2025
Discover the Ninja Towns of Koka and Iga Ueno
If the cloak-and-dagger world of ninjas captivated you, then you'll probably want to visit the towns of Koka and Iga Ueno.
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June 26, 2025
This Way to Ise-Shima
Ise is best known for Ise Jingu, a shrine complex housing the most sacred Shinto shrines in Japan, while Toba is where you'll find Mikimoto Pearl Island.
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June 19, 2025
This Way to Tottori
Wind-sculpted and ever-changing, the Tottori Sand Dunes are a natural wonder that feels completely out of place in Japan.
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June 15, 2025
This Way to Kobe
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Kobe? For the vast majority of tourists, it's Kobe Beef.
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June 5, 2025
This Way to Amanohashidate
The name Amanohashidate comes from a Shinto creation myth featuring the celestial deities Izanagi and Izanami.
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May 31, 2025
Assessing the JR West Kansai Area Pass
The JR West Kansai Area Pass is a rail pass that allows foreign tourists unlimited travel on JR trains and local JR buses in designated areas within the Kansai region.
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