Jul 12, 2016 • 13 min read
Japan’s sunny southern islands see a remarkable number of 100th birthdays – the scientists have their theories as to why, but we’ve travelled to research…
Jul 12, 2016 • 13 min read
Japan’s sunny southern islands see a remarkable number of 100th birthdays – the scientists have their theories as to why, but we’ve travelled to research…
Jun 23, 2016 • 5 min read
For most people, Hokkaidō is synonymous with snow and skiing, but Japan’s northernmost island is also a top destination in the warmer months: it’s a place…
May 26, 2016 • 6 min read
With so much keeping travellers occupied in nearby Kyoto and Osaka, it’s not surprising Matsusaka is often overlooked. But while Japan’s star cities may…
May 26, 2016 • 6 min read
Ise-Shima is famous as the home of Ise-jingū, one of Japan's most revered Shintō shrines, and for many travellers the shrine might be all they see of the…
Jan 5, 2016 • 7 min read
With its wide-open spaces, national parks, active volcanoes, forests of silvery beech, forlorn coastlines and remote fishing towns, Hokkaidō is ideal for…
Oct 2, 2015 • 5 min read
Japan is warm and welcoming to travellers, but its unique culture can be as inscrutable as it is intriguing for the first-time visitor. To help create a…
Sep 29, 2015 • 6 min read
The Japanese love to eat out, and the profusion of culinary options, even in the smallest towns, can be overwhelming. There’s something for every taste…
Aug 12, 2015 • 3 min read
The small island of Hashima was once bustling with a community of 5000 people, who lived alongside the mines they worked. Abandoned in the 1970s, the…
Aug 10, 2015 • 5 min read
Okinawa and the Southwest Islands comprise one of Japan's pretty little secrets – a side of Japan that differs from the mainland in culture and pace. They…
Jun 8, 2015 • 5 min read
Mt Fuji may dominate the horizon southwest of Tokyo, but it is just one of many reasons to stray out of Japan’s exciting capital. The prefectures of…
Feb 6, 2015 • 4 min read
Shrinking the distance from food source to plate is a trend that is catching on globally. Japan is obsessed with eating – its famous national cuisine …
Jan 19, 2015 • 4 min read
Tokyo is the consummate modern metropolis, a land of staggering skyscrapers, dizzying neon signage, and the world’s busiest transport hubs. In many ways…
Jan 16, 2015 • 4 min read
Sumo wrestling is the quintessential ‘only in Japan’ experience. Equal parts brutal chaos and carefully controlled ritual, sumo is quite unlike any…
Nov 10, 2014 • 4 min read
Each of Kyoto’s Buddhist temples is a world of its own. Some are bustling places, thronged with pilgrims from all over the world. Others are lonely and…
Sep 3, 2014 • 6 min read
There’s something brewing in the Orient, something that will make beer drinkers positively hoppy with glee. It’s a craft beer revolution, and one long…
Aug 5, 2014 • 5 min read
Already know your sushi from your sashimi and can slurp ramen like a local? Why not jump off the Japanese mainland and head southwest to discover the…
May 27, 2014 • 7 min read
I'd been in Japan for only three days when my friend and tour guide (who is fluent in Japanese) delivered the bad news. 'I need to return to the US…
Jan 16, 2014 • 5 min read
It wasn’t the world’s first high-speed train, but when the Shinkansen debuted in 1964, its sleek, futuristic design and to-the-second punctuality resulted…
Jan 6, 2014 • 5 min read
The nighttime lights in Tokyo are overwhelming. Billions of bright bulbs and bulletins begging for your attention, yearning for your yen. You think: ‘With…
Dec 10, 2013 • 5 min read
Unesco recently added Japanese cuisine – known in Japan as washoku – to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This puts it equal to French cuisine, the…
Nov 26, 2013 • 4 min read
Pristine beaches, star-studded night skies, searing sunsets and whales splashing in tropical waters are not the usual things to expect on a trip to Japan…
Oct 31, 2013 • 5 min read
Japan seduces and dazzles travellers with its buzzed-up, sprawling, ultra-convenient big cities. But if you’re weary of crowds and vending-machine-packed…