Explore Japan through local eyes. Discover hidden places, authentic food, cultural insights, practical travel tips, and experiences beyond the typical tourist routes.
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Gold Leaf Jewelry and Skincare
Hakuza: Gold Leaf Jewelry and Skincare from Kanazawa, Japan (Shipping Worldwide): Hakuza is a Japanese gold leaf brand whose official online shop sells jewelry, skincare, tableware, food and even raw gold leaf materials. This short guide focuses on two categories that suit overseas visitors and online shoppers best: necklaces and earrings, and gold leaf skincare.…
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Did Japan Inspire Blue Bottle? Kissaten and Tokyo’s Roasters
Japan’s Coffee Culture: From Kissaten to the New Wave of Small Roasteries: Japan is famous for tea, yet it has one of the most devoted coffee cultures in the world. Its old-style coffee houses, called kissaten, helped inspire the founder of Blue Bottle Coffee in California, and the same spirit of patient, hand-made brewing now…
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Japan’s Best Ski Resort in 2022/2023: Appi Kogen Ski Resort in Iwate:
Beautiful Scenery in Japan In this blog, I will gradually share beautiful photographs of Japan’s landscapes, all taken by me over the years. I hope you enjoy discovering the many scenic places that Japan has to offer. This photograph captures the beautiful autumn scenery of Appi Kogen Ski Resort in Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan. Appi…
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The Perfect 3-Day Fukuoka and Hakata
The Perfect 3-Day Fukuoka and Hakata Itinerary: Three days is enough time to enjoy Fukuoka’s food, temples and waterfront without feeling rushed, thanks to a compact city center and an airport that sits very close to downtown. This itinerary organizes your visit around Hakata, Dazaifu and Tenjin, and the Ohori Park and seaside area, with…
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Skiing and Snowboarding in Japan
The Complete Niseko and Hakuba Guide Japan is one of the world’s best winter destinations for skiers and snowboarders, and Niseko in Hokkaido and Hakuba in Nagano are the two names most international visitors start with. Niseko is famous for deep, dry powder and a polished, English-friendly resort scene, while Hakuba offers big alpine terrain,…
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Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa
The Perfect 3-Day Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa Itinerary: Three days is enough to see the highlights of this classic route through central Japan without feeling rushed, provided you travel in one direction and plan your bus connections carefully. This itinerary moves from Takayama to Shirakawa-go to Kanazawa, giving you a historic mountain town, a UNESCO…
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The Perfect 5-Day Tokyo Itinerary
The Perfect 5-Day Tokyo Itinerary: Five days is enough time to experience Tokyo’s major districts at a comfortable pace, mixing iconic sightseeing with some of the city’s more unique, modern experiences. This itinerary groups each day around a cluster of nearby neighborhoods to minimize backtracking, with some flexible options built in for day five. Itinerary…
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Japan’s Business Hotel Chains Compared
Toyoko Inn vs. APA Hotel vs. Dormy Inn: Japan’s Business Hotel Chains Compared: Japan’s business hotel chains offer some of the best value accommodation in the country, compact, efficient, and reliably clean, but each of the three major names, Toyoko Inn, APA Hotel, and Dormy Inn, has a genuinely different personality. This guide breaks down…
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The Perfect 3-Day Kyoto Itinerary
The Perfect 3-Day Kyoto Itinerary: Three days is enough time to see Kyoto’s most iconic sights without feeling rushed at every stop, provided you group your days by area rather than crisscrossing the city. This itinerary organizes your visit around eastern, western, and central Kyoto, with a flexible option for day three depending on your…
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Mysterious Blue Spring
Beautiful Scenery in Japan In this blog, I’ll be sharing some of the beautiful landscapes and scenic places in Japan that I have personally photographed over the years. This photograph was taken at Maruike-sama (Maruike Shrine) in Yamagata Prefecture. A Mysterious Blue Spring Maruike-sama is a small spring-fed pond, measuring about 20 meters (65 feet)…
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Tarumizu Ruins:Mountain Spirituality
Beautiful Scenery in Japan In this blog, I’ll be sharing some of the beautiful places and landscapes across Japan that I have personally photographed. Today, I’d like to introduce Tarumi Ruins in Yamagata Prefecture, a mysterious and little-known spot hidden deep in the mountains near the famous Yamadera temple. A Hidden Side of Yamadera Yamadera…
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Nothing lasts forever
諸行無常（しょぎょうむじょう, shogyō mujō） is a Japanese Buddhist expression that means “all things are impermanent.” It expresses the idea that everything in the world is constantly changing and that nothing remains the same forever. This includes nature, human life, relationships, emotions, and material possessions. Beautiful Japanese Scenery In this blog, I will gradually introduce beautiful landscape…
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