As a Japan-based boutique travel agency, we spend a lot of time with guests who've done the five-star circuit elsewhere first. Luxury in places like Dubai or Paris tends to mean scale: bigger...
JAPAN TRAVEL
Planning a trip to Japan? These blogs are your go-to guide for all the practical stuff — the real-world tips that make travelling smoother, smarter, and way less stressful.
3 Japan Honeymoon Itineraries for Different Types of Couples
Planning a honeymoon in Japan is such an exciting prospect. You’re probably envisioning once-in-a-lifetime dinners, private tea ceremonies, late-night walks through lantern-lit alleyways…and all of...
3 Japan Retirement Trip Itineraries for Different Types of Travellers
If you’re planning on celebrating your retirement with a trip to Japan, then first of all, congratulations! And secondly, we think you’ve made a great choice. Japan has so much to offer, with its...
Kyoto vs Osaka: Which City Should First-Time Visitors Choose?
Kyoto vs Osaka is a classic dilemma for anyone planning their first trip to Japan. The two cities sit a fifteen-minute Shinkansen ride apart, close enough that people assume the choice barely...
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...
Lake Biwa Things to Do and Relaxing 2-Day Itinerary
The first time I saw Lake Biwa properly, from the window of a Biwako Line train pulling into Otsu, I was surprised by how big it actually is. You hear "Japan's largest lake" and your brain still...
Best Indoor Play Areas in Tokyo (Perfect for Kids on Hot and Rainy Days!)
Tokyo in summer does something to a family holiday that nobody warns you about. The humidity sits on your chest before nine in the morning, and by midday even the most enthusiastic six-year-old is...
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...
Tourist Traps in Japan: What to See, What to Skip, and Where to Go Instead
We at Flip have spent years building itineraries for people visiting Japan, and we keep watching the same pattern play out. Someone lands in Tokyo with a list of spots pulled from some old blog...
Travelling Kyoto with Kids: An Honest Family Travel Guide
Kyoto tends to get filed under "serious" travel, the place you go for history and culture rather than fun, and I think that reputation puts a lot of parents off before they have even looked...
20+ Best Things to Do in Japan with Kids
When parents start researching things to do in Japan with kids for their trip, they usually end up frustrated, staring at a list of temples and shrines that look stunning in photographs but are...
Step-by-Step Guide to Planning a Nature-Focused Japan Trip (Tried and Tested by an Agency)
Most people planning a trip to Japan build their route around cities. Tokyo, then Kyoto, maybe Osaka, with a day trip to Nara squeezed in for the deer. It works, and it is a fine trip, I will not...
Experiencing a Japanese Tea Ceremony: What to Know Before You Book
If your ideal afternoon looks less like a packed sightseeing list and more like a certain tea-loving uncle from Avatar finding his happy place, you’re booking the right thing. Understand the listings, compare the most common formats, and know what to check before you book a Japanese tea ceremony with this guide.
Home Cooking Classes in Japan: Types, What to Expect, and Where to Book
Japan has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other country outside of France, and it is easy to spend an entire trip eating extraordinarily well without ever touching a kitchen. But as a...
The Ultimate 7-Day Kyushu Itinerary (Without a Car)
Choosing Kyushu for your Japan trip might just be the best decision you could make. Compared to the busyness of Honshu, the region is incredibly quiet and relaxed, but with some of the most amazing...