Travel guides to help you plan your trip to different destinations in Japan
When we share our favorite travel memories with others, we often describe how beautiful a place is. But I think our fondest memories of places are shaped less by what we see, and more by how they make us feel. That often indescribable feeling is what I remember when I think of Kinosaki Onsen. My … Read more
I could hear the chanting from outside. I wanted to join in on as many meditation sessions as I could so I slipped off my snow-covered Campers and quietly entered Kondo Hall. To the right of the sliding door was a group of caucasian tourists seated on the tatami floor. To the left, a pair … Read more
I couldn’t wrap my head around Hakone. From the pictures, it was obviously one of the most popular places to take photos of Mount Fuji. I knew it was an onsen town famous for its hot springs, but that was pretty much all that made sense to me. What I found baffling was the “Hakone … Read more
To be honest, I went to Matsumoto for the soba. Nagano Prefecture produces some of the best soba in Japan so that was my main motivation for visiting this city in the Northern Japan Alps. Of course, I had read about its castle, one of just twelve original castles left standing in Japan. But I … Read more
Don’t let Takayama’s size fool you. This mountain town in Gifu Prefecture may be small, but it’s one of the most captivating destinations you’ll visit in the Chubu region. The first time I went to Takayama, I used it as a base to visit Shirakawa-go, but it didn’t take me long to realize that Takayama … Read more
Osaka is an easy destination to plan for. Nagoya is also easy. Fukuoka and Hiroshima are pretty easy as well. Kyoto is a little more difficult but compared to Tokyo, it’s still relatively easy. Planning a trip to Tokyo can be daunting, and a lot of that has to do with its size. It isn’t … Read more
If you’re visiting Tokyo for the first time, then you’ll probably want to see the usual tourist attractions like Senso-ji, Meiji Shrine, Tsukiji Market, and teamLab Borderless. But what about on your second and third trips to Tokyo? Thankfully, Tokyo is massive, and offers lots to do even for people who’ve been to Japan’s capital … Read more
When visiting any new destination for the first time, going to a city’s top tourist attractions is a given. It’s something most people need to do. But do you know what I enjoy more than snapping a few photos at overcrowded temples and shrines in Japan? Visiting its neighborhoods. Exploring a cool neighborhood and wondering … Read more
Miyajima Island is famous for Itsukushima Shrine and its “floating” torii gate, one of the three most celebrated views in Japan. I took a day trip from Hiroshima to visit the shrine only to find the torii gate completely covered in scaffolding. Little did I know, the famed floating gate had been undergoing a major … Read more
I had just dropped off my bags at my hotel in downtown Kanazawa when I made a beeline for Nagamachi District. I had a fascination for swords and samurais as a kid so seeing an actual samurai district topped my to-do list in Kanazawa. It was grey and rainy that winter morning so my initial … Read more