Tomogashima, a beautiful “phantom” island of fortress

On a beautiful Akibare 秋晴れ day – a fine autumn day, we visited Tomogashima Island in Wakayama prefecture on a day trip. It was said to have been an”uninhabited phantom island” dotted with fortress ruins. You may wonder why the title says “phantom”. Let’s find it out in this blog!

A Guide To Cherry Blossom Viewing In Japan

Tourism was affected quite badly by the pandemic. But with vaccines rolling out and countries reopening, you can expect tourism to slowly start livening up again. And when you do travel again, you should consider the Land of the Rising Sun — Japan. Yahoo Finance’s list of most visited countries in the world lists Japan as number 11. It reports the … Read More

A Guide to Osaka Castle Park

Osaka Castle is an iconic symbol that is definitely worth a visit. When you do go, be sure to enjoy Osaka Castle Park to the fullest! Here’s a guide on how to get there and what to do to make the most out of your trip. There is a video guide at the end of this blog, too.

Travel Guide to Kisoji, Nakasendo ~Visiting post towns

magome-juku post town

Have you ever traveled to Nakasendō road or any of the post town stations along the way? There are beautiful, ancient, and picturesque trails in Nakasendo中山道 where you will feel nostalgic, especially in the Kisoji area (Gifu & Nagano). These trekking routes between the post towns are where you can enjoy scenic mountain hikes. In this blog, I visited and … Read More

The Best Day Trips From Tokyo

nikko bridge autumn

Are you coming to Japan and staying in Tokyo? Thanks to Japan’s convenient public transportation, you can easily make a number of great side trips to nearby rural areas no matter where you stay in Tokyo. Get out of the city for a bit and get lost in the beauty of rural Japan – just for a day or two. … Read More

Kawaii: Japan’s Obsession With All Things Cute

bow down to hello kitty

Kawaii (かわいい) is one of the most commonly used words in the Japanese language. Translated as “cute” in English, it can be used to describe all things cute – people, babies, animals, clothing, decorations, stationary – you name it. When the kawaii trend originated, it was only popular with pre-teen girls. So why is it that today in Japan, it’s … Read More

Stereotypes About Japan That ARE True!

night street in kyoto

When you think about “Japan”, what stereotypes come to mind? There are loads of myths surrounding Japan – about the people, the culture, the trains, and even the food! Many of them are far from accurate, but several common stereotypes are actually spot-on! Read on to find out which stereotypes about Japan are true, and the facts that back them … Read More

City Spotlight: Nara, Japan

Nara City Japan

Nara (奈良) is a city with a significant historical importance to Japan, and continues to serve as one of the most beloved tourist spots today. We take a look at how to get there, what to do, and even what it eat in this city spotlight on Nara City!

The Five Best Places to View Mount Fuji

view of Mount Fuji Japan

Ever dreamed of seeing Japan’s symbolic Mount Fuji up close? These 5 places are famous for having the best viewpoints of the incredible Mount Fuji. Whether its during the golden hours of sunset or the early fog of the morning; from the comfort of your bike, or at the peak of a hike – each of these locations offers their … Read More

The 3 Major Night Views of Japan

Hakodate ten million dollar night view

While there are places all around Japan that are incredibly popular date spot and night view lookouts, only 3 are considered to be worthy of the title “major night views”. These 3 spots are so incredible that they are called Japan’s 3 ten million dollar night views. Here are the three major night view spots in Japan!