My favourite Tokyo autumn walk starts beneath the golden ginkgo trees of Meiji Jingu Gaien, then winds through Sendagaya and Harajuku before finishing at Yoyogi Park. The route is roughly five...
JAPAN BY SEASON
Japan changes dramatically with the seasons — and each offers something magical to discover. These blog posts are your complete guide to traveling Japan year-round—Japan by season.
Guide to Every Mountain and Ski Resort in Sapporo, Japan (2026-27)
Most skiers land in Sapporo and head straight out to Niseko, but the city has five ski areas of its own. That includes Sapporo Teine, where the 1972 Olympic slalom races were held. And it’s only...
Things to Do in Niseko Besides Skiing
So, half your group lives for powder, and the other half would honestly rather not strap a plank to each foot and fall down a mountain? Yes, we all know that Niseko equals skiing and snowboarding,...
Ski Resorts Near Tokyo
One of the best things about living in Tokyo is how easy it is to get to the snow. There are loads of ski resorts near Tokyo, and skiing and snowboarding here are really accessible. You don’t...
The Best Ski Resorts in Japan for Skiing and Snowboarding
If you've ever seen videos of skiers or snowboarders floating through waist-deep powder, there's a good chance they were filmed in Japan. The snow here is famously light and dry, especially in...
Halloween Parties in Japan 2026
Halloween 2026 falls on a Saturday, so the 30th, 31st and the weekend before are all fair game. Below are the Halloween parties in Japan we’d point a friend to this year, from techno basements in...
Where to Go Trick-or-Treating in Tokyo This Halloween 2026
If you grew up in a country where trick-or-treating is the norm during Halloween, Tokyo is going to mess with your head a bit. No kids are wandering the streets after dark ringing doorbells here....
Where to Go for Halloween Afternoon Tea in Tokyo This 2026
Here are my favourite Halloween Afternoon Tea Tokyo hotels and cafes are running this year, with actual menus, prices and dates, so you know what’s worth booking.
Guide to Cosmos in Japan (Best Places to See Them in 2026)
There's a patch of cosmos growing wild along the river near my apartment in Yokohama. It’s just a strip of pink and white someone probably planted years ago that the whole neighbourhood now treats...
Does Japan Celebrate Halloween? Where to Go in 2026
Yes, Japan does celebrate Halloween, but it's concentrated almost entirely in Tokyo and mainly nightlife-focused, with smaller scenes in Osaka and Kyoto. Outside major cities, you likely won’t find...
Complete Guide to Tsukimi: Moon-Viewing in Japan
If you find yourself in Japan in mid-to-late September and walk through a park in the late evening, you might just come across hundreds of Japanese people staring up at the sky. Although it might...
6 Refreshing Summer Day Trips From Kyoto to Escape the City
There are so many reasons to visit Kyoto during the summer…but the weather probably isn’t one of them. It’s always crowded, but when it’s also super hot and unbelievably humid, the city can become...
Our 7-Day Hokkaido Summer Itinerary for the Ultimate Road Trip
Thinking about a summer trip to Japan’s northern island? Well, it’s an incredible idea. And one that the locals in Tokyo and Kyoto will envy, with Hokkaido being one of the most desirable summer...
6 Amazing Summer Day Trips From Tokyo to Escape The Heat
Visiting Tokyo during the summer can be amazing. There are non-stop festivals and fireworks displays, and who doesn’t love eating kakigouri (shaved ice) on a hot afternoon in the sun? But we also...
The Complete Gion Matsuri Guide for First-Timers
Summer in Japan means two things: hot weather and festivals! And as the country’s biggest summer festival, Gion Matsuri is worth suffering all the heat and humidity just to experience it. The...