Every year, for roughly ten days between late April and early May, Japan collectively exhales and goes on holiday. All at once. Around 40 million people take to the roads, railways, airports, and...
The Best Free Things to Do in Osaka According to Locals
Osaka is famous for being a place where the food is so good that you end up spending all your money hopping from takoyaki stands to kushikatsu restaurants. Luckily, you do not need a big budget to...
Best Onsen in Beppu: A Curated Guide to Japan’s Hot Spring Capital
The first thing you will notice when you arrive in Beppu is the steam. It drifts out of the drains, rises from behind houses, and hangs over the city like a low cloud. This is because the city sits...
Kumamoto Guide & Itinerary for the Best Things to Do in the Prefecture
Most people heading to Kyushu tend to stick to the bright lights of Fukuoka or the hot springs of Beppu. However, you should head further south to Kumamoto if you want to see a mix of massive-scale...
The Perfect Osaka 2-Day Itinerary for Food Lovers and First Timers
When planning a Japan itinerary, travellers often struggle to fit everything in. Very often, people treat Osaka as a quick afterthought between Tokyo and Kyoto. But here is the truth: the city...
The Ultimate Fukuoka Guide & 2-Day Itinerary
Fukuoka is easily one of the most underrated stops on a Japan trip. While everyone else is fighting the crowds in Kyoto or Tokyo, you should be heading south to the sunnier, friendlier capital of...
40 Things You Can Only Buy in Japan (Don’t Miss Any on Your Trip)
Let’s be real for a second. In the age of global e-commerce, the phrase "things you can only buy in Japan" is technically a bit of a stretch. Yes, you could probably find almost anything on this...
Top Tokyo Sakura Festivals for a Memorable Spring Itinerary
Tokyo gets pretty chaotic during the Tokyo cherry blossom festival season. The smell of grilled street food and the sight of falling petals really takes over the streets. If you are a traveller, you...
Off-the-Beaten-Path Japan: Travelling Beyond Kyoto and Tokyo
Let’s be clear about one thing: we know exactly why you want to visit Tokyo and Kyoto. These cities are famous for a reason, and we think everyone should see them at least once. However, with the...
Luxury Japan Travel: From Private Stays to One-of-a-Kind Experiences
Japan offers a level of luxury that is arguably unmatched anywhere else on earth. In our experience, the best is simply the baseline here. After all, this is the land of ‘omotenashi’, where...
The Best Ryokan in Kyoto: A Complete Guide for Every Budget
If you are finally going on that dream Kyoto trip, you will probably spend your days walking miles to see those famous shrines and temples. By the time the sun goes down, your feet will be tired,...
2-Day Kyoto Itinerary: See the Best of the City in 48 Hours
If you search for a Kyoto itinerary, you are going to get blasted with photos of golden temples and those orange gates at Fushimi Inari. Those places are iconic for a reason, but after years of...
The Ultimate Kyoto Bucket List: 31 Best Things to Do and Must-See Attractions
Kyoto is a place that feels like it has been on every must-visit list for decades. With over 2,000 temples and shrines, it is no wonder so many people flock here every year. You have likely seen the...
Step-By-Step Shinkansen Guide: How to Take the Bullet Train for Beginners
If you are planning a trip to Japan, you have likely seen photos of the sleek, white nose of a train speeding past Mount Fuji. This is the Shinkansen, or as most travellers call it, the bullet...
Osaka Nightlife for Foreigners: Clubs, Bars, and Yokochos
Many people assume that Osaka is just a smaller version of Tokyo, but the two cities have completely different personalities, especially once the sun goes down. The people here are famously friendly...