Culture & Customs
Best Translation Apps for Japan (2026): What Works Offline and What Changed
Which translation apps work best in Japan in 2026: Google Live translate, Apple Translate with AirPods, VoiceTra, DeepL, offline options, menu tips…
Culture & Customs
Kimono Rental in Japan: Kyoto, Tokyo and Kanazawa Prices, Rules and Tips
How kimono rental works in Japan in 2026: prices at the main shops, dressing and return times, yukata season, sizes, Gion and…
Culture & Customs
Can You Travel Japan Without Speaking Japanese? An Honest Guide
Yes, with preparation. Where English works in Japan, where it doesn't, and how to read menus, ramen ticket machines, vending machines and…
Culture & Customs
Essential Japanese Phrases for Travelers: Restaurants, Shopping, Help and Emergencies
The Japanese phrases travelers actually use, with romaji: 16 core phrases, what staff say to you, restaurant, shopping, tax-free, hotel, help and…
Aomori
Aomori Nebuta Festival Guide: A First-Timer’s Guide to Japan’s Giant Glowing Floats and How to Dance in the Parade
Every August 2 to 7, Aomori in northern Japan hosts the Nebuta Festival, one of the country's three great Tohoku festivals and…
Culture & Customs
Takachiho Gorge Travel Guide: Rowboats, the Sea of Clouds, and Japan’s Sacred Myths in Miyazaki
Takachiho Gorge in Miyazaki is one of Kyushu's most magical hidden gems, where emerald cliffs, a slender waterfall, and rental rowboats meet…
Culture & Customs
Ouchijuku Travel Guide: A First-Timer’s Guide to Fukushima’s Edo-Era Thatched Post Town
Ouchijuku is a perfectly preserved Edo-period post town in the Aizu region of Fukushima, where around forty thatched-roof houses line a single…
Chugoku & Shikoku
Miyajima Travel Guide: A First-Timer’s Guide to the Floating Torii, Itsukushima Shrine, Mount Misen and Hiroshima’s Sacred Island
Miyajima (Itsukushima) is the sacred island in Hiroshima Bay famous for its great vermilion torii gate that floats on the sea. This…
Chugoku & Shikoku
Uchiko Travel Guide: Shikoku’s Perfectly Preserved Old Merchant Town of Wax, Washi and Kabuki
Discover Uchiko, one of Shikoku's most beautifully preserved old merchant towns in inland Ehime. This complete first-timer's guide covers the historic Yokaichi…
Chugoku & Shikoku
Tsuwano Travel Guide: The Little Kyoto of San-in — Carp Canals, Red Torii Gates and a Steam Train in Shimane
Tsuwano, often called the "Little Kyoto of San-in," is a beautifully preserved castle town hidden in the mountains of Shimane Prefecture in…
