Travel Stories

5 min read • Jul 9, 2019

Tokyo is a huge, sprawling city that can seem impossible to tackle – especially when you’re short on time – but you can cover a lot with a little planning.

6 min read • Jun 24, 2019

In Japan, there’s a drive to create and experience things that are bigger, better, faster and stronger than anywhere else in the world. Shibuya Crossing…

11 min read • Jun 23, 2019

Anticipation is well and truly building for the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan. And while fans scramble to scoop up any last remaining tickets, the country…

5 min read • Jun 21, 2019

Summer in much of Japan is hot and can be unrelentingly humid, but it’s also the season for top festivals, mass folk dancing, mountain hikes, and enjoying…

7 min read • Apr 17, 2019

From its winding mountain trails to its charming, pristine beaches, Wakayama Prefecture is an ancient gem waiting to be discovered. Steeped in history and…

7 min read • Feb 27, 2019

Spring in Japan means sakura (cherry) blossoms. And that's just one of the reasons to visit Tokyo at this time of year: there are also traditional…

5 min read • Feb 26, 2019

There’s a reason the Japanese call Osaka tenka no daidokoro, or ‘the nation’s kitchen’. If your fantasies of a trip to Japan involve flashing neon lights,…

6 min read • Feb 12, 2019

After more than 80 years at Tsukiji, Tokyo’s wholesale market – famous for its tuna auction, exotic fish and breakfast sushi – moved to a new, purpose…

6 min read • Jan 24, 2019

Want to take a deep dive into Tokyo’s famous (and famously amazing) dining scene, but worried about committing some unforgivable gaffe? Here's all you…

5 min read • Aug 28, 2018

Oita, a prefecture on Japan's southern-most island of Kyūshū, is world-famous for its incredible hot springs. Towns like Beppu host bathers from around…

6 min read • Jun 6, 2018

There is no denying that Nagasaki’s intense and turbulent history has forever marked it as a distinct destination. And while taking a journey there grants…

6 min read • Apr 25, 2018

At the heart of Japan lies Wakayama-ken, a prefecture rich in spirit, history and natural beauty. Here, lesser-tread paths lead to rugged hiking trails,…

5 min read • Mar 29, 2018

So you came to Tokyo to eat? You'd need a whole month just to make it through the highlights of this world-class – some would say world's best – food city…

6 min read • Mar 25, 2018

Tokyoites often say that the best way to get to know their city is to travel station by station around the Yamanote line, the city's iconic elevated loop…

7 min read • Jan 5, 2018

Japan’s ‘deep north’, the largely rural Tōhoku region is home to craft traditions that have been handed down over generations. A trip to this little…

5 min read • Dec 12, 2017

Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaidō is best known for two things: winter sports and Sapporo beer. But the little-known eastern side of the island is a…

5 min read • Nov 28, 2017

Tokyo's winter charms include a festive atmosphere and clear days perfect for hot springs soaking and spotting Mt Fuji, enjoy Tokyo with fewer crowds.

7 min read • Jun 15, 2017

Manga comics, blazing neon, speeding trains, supersized pedestrian crossings – Japan might not immediately inspire a vision of traditional romance, but…

6 min read • May 10, 2017

Secluded in the mountainous Hida region of central Japan, Takayama is a place where Japanese history and tradition flourish in the 21st century…

6 min read • May 9, 2017

Tokyo is dazzling, frenetic and fashionably cool, but there are times when the population crush and non-stop energy turns this urban paradise into a…

7 min read • Apr 21, 2017

The quality of the gastronomic offerings in Japan’s southern island of Kyūshū could keep a food-focused traveller satisfied for decades. The culinary…

5 min read • Aug 19, 2016

Shinji Nohara knows Tokyo like no other. A lifelong local, he’s the ‘Tokyo Fixer’, the foodie who fed fugu (puffer fish) to Anthony Bourdain, who consults…