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…
Osaka
Where to Stay in Osaka: Best Areas and Hotels
Where to stay in Osaka in 2026: Namba or Umeda, the best hotels by budget and area, new openings, the higher accommodation…
Kyoto
Where to Stay in Kyoto: Best Areas, Hotels and Ryokan
Where to stay in Kyoto in 2026: the best areas, hotels and ryokan by budget, new openings, the higher accommodation tax, bus…
Food & Restaurants
Nishiki Market Travel Guide: A First-Timer’s Guide to Eating Your Way Through Kyoto’s Kitchen
Nishiki Market is Kyoto's 400-year-old covered food street, known as 'Kyoto's Kitchen,' where around 130 narrow stalls sell the city's finest seasonal…
Kansai
Best Day Trips from Osaka (2026): Kyoto, Nara, Himeji, Kobe and More
Day trips from Osaka with 2026 times and fares: Kyoto, Nara, Himeji Castle's new fee, Kobe, Arima Onsen, Uji and Koyasan, plus…
Kansai
Best Day Trips from Kyoto: Complete Guide to Nara, Hiroshima, Osaka and Beyond
Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you book a hotel, tour, eSIM, or rail pass through some of the links…
Food & Restaurants
Dotonbori Travel Guide: A First-Timer’s Guide to Osaka’s Neon Food Paradise
Dotonbori is the dazzling neon heart of Osaka, a canal-side strip of glowing billboards, the famous Glico running man, a giant mechanical…
Food & Restaurants
Japanese Wagyu Beef Guide: A First-Timer’s Guide to Kobe Beef, Matsusaka, and How to Eat Japan’s Legendary Beef
Eating wagyu is one of the bucket-list experiences of a trip to Japan, but the grades, brands, and prices can be baffling.…
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…
Culture & Customs
Hikone Castle Guide: Japan’s Original National Treasure on Lake Biwa (Complete Guide)
Hikone Castle is one of only twelve castles in Japan with its original Edo-period keep, and one of just five designated as…
