Hidden Gems
Japan Hiking Guide for Beginners: Best Trails, Essential Tips, and What to Pack
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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…
Hidden Gems
Aoshima Island and the Nichinan Coast: A First-Timer’s Guide to Miyazaki’s Subtropical Shrines and Devil’s Washboard
Along Miyazaki's Nichinan Coast, Aoshima Island sits surrounded by the extraordinary 'Devil's Washboard' rock formations, its ancient shrine hidden in subtropical jungle.…
Chubu
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park: A First-Timer’s Guide to Nagano’s Bathing Monkeys and Onsen Towns
Watching wild snow monkeys soak in a steaming hot spring is one of Japan's most magical winter sights. This complete first-timer's guide…
Chugoku & Shikoku
Mount Daisen Travel Guide: A First-Timer’s Guide to Hiking Tottori’s Sacred Peak, Daisen-ji Temple, and Autumn Colors
Mount Daisen in Tottori is the tallest peak in the Chugoku region and one of Japan's most rewarding, beginner-friendly day hikes —…
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…
Chugoku & Shikoku
Takamatsu & Ritsurin Garden: A First-Timer’s Guide to Kagawa’s Garden City, Sanuki Udon and the Seto Inland Sea
Takamatsu, the capital of Kagawa on the island of Shikoku, is one of Japan's most rewarding under-the-radar city breaks. This first-timer's guide…
Chubu
Walking the Nakasendo: A First-Timer’s Guide to the Kiso Valley and the Magome-Tsumago Trail
The Kiso Valley in Nagano Prefecture is home to the best-preserved post towns of the old Nakasendo highway, and the gentle 8-kilometer…
Gunma
Minakami Guide: White-Water Rafting, Onsen and the Wild Heart of Gunma (First-Timer’s Guide)
Less than 90 minutes from Tokyo, Minakami in northern Gunma is Japan's adventure capital and a hot-spring paradise rolled into one. This…
Hidden Gems
Karatsu Travel Guide: Saga’s Seaside Castle Town of Pottery, Pine Groves and Festival Floats
Discover Karatsu, Saga's overlooked seaside castle town in Kyushu. This first-timer's guide covers the crane-shaped Karatsu Castle, the elite Karatsu-yaki pottery tradition,…
