Culture & Customs
Yamadera Temple Guide: How to Climb Yamagata’s 1,000 Stone Steps to Risshaku-ji
Yamadera (Risshaku-ji) is one of Tohoku’s most spectacular temples, a string of wooden halls climbing a forested cliff in Yamagata Prefecture, reached…
Culture & Customs
Japan Izakaya Guide: What to Order, How to Behave, and the Best Spots in Tokyo and Osaka
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you book or buy through some of them, we may earn a small commission…
Culture & Customs
Tono Travel Guide: Japan’s Folklore Capital — Kappa Legends, Mountain Shrines and Rural Tohoku
Discover Tono, Iwate Prefecture's extraordinary folklore capital in the heart of Tohoku. This complete guide covers Kappabuchi Pool, the legendary water sprites…
Chubu
Eiheiji Temple Guide: Japan’s Most Sacred Zen Monastery in Fukui (Complete Guide)
Eiheiji Temple in Fukui Prefecture is one of Japan's most extraordinary destinations — a living Zen Buddhist monastery where over 200 monks…
Chugoku & Shikoku
Konpira-san (Kotohira-gu): A First-Timer’s Guide to Climbing Shikoku’s Shrine of 1,368 Steps
Climbing the long stone staircase to Konpira-san is one of Shikoku's signature experiences. This complete first-timer's guide to the great seafarers' shrine…
Culture & Customs
Hiraizumi Travel Guide: A First-Timer’s Guide to Iwate’s Golden Temples, Pure Land Gardens and the UNESCO Heritage of Tohoku
Hiraizumi, the quiet UNESCO World Heritage town in southern Iwate, was once a golden rival to Kyoto. This first-timer's guide covers the…
Culture & Customs
Kinosaki Onsen Guide: A First-Timer’s Walk Through Hyogo’s Seven Hot Springs, Ryokan Stays & Yukata Strolls
Kinosaki Onsen, on the Sea of Japan coast in Hyogo Prefecture, is one of the most welcoming hot spring towns in Japan…
Aichi (Nagoya)
Nagoya Castle Guide: Golden Dolphins, the Reborn Hommaru Palace and Aichi’s Iconic Fortress
Crowned by its famous golden dolphins, Nagoya Castle is one of Japan's greatest fortresses and the proud symbol of Aichi. This complete…
Culture & Customs
Kawagoe Guide: A First-Timer Day Trip to Little Edo, the Castle Town Near Tokyo
A complete first-timer guide to Kawagoe, the Edo-period castle town in Saitama known as Little Edo, just 30 minutes from Tokyo. Explore…
Chugoku & Shikoku
Matsue Travel Guide: Shimane and the City of Water, Original Castle and Samurai District
A complete first-timer guide to Matsue, the tranquil castle town on Lake Shinji in Shimane Prefecture. Discover one of Japan twelve original…
