If you’re coming to Japan for the first time, I can almost guarantee you’ve put Kyoto somewhere on your itinerary. Now you need to figure out how long to spend in Kyoto, so you’re confident that you’re making the most of your…
While I don’t claim to be a custom keyboard expert, I do type a lot. While I’m traveling, most of that typing is done on some form of the magic keyboard by Apple, but when I’m at home I use my incredibly…
Whenever I write these ‘Is it worth visiting’ type of articles, my decision usually lines up with what most people think. However, this wildly popular district in Western Kyoto makes things a little more difficult. So, is Arashiyama worth visiting? In my…
The route that first-time visitors to Japan usually take is from Tokyo – Osaka (and surrounding areas) – Tokyo. Of course, there are trips in between and often the chance to venture further into Japan. As one of the most popular add-ons…
Would you believe it if I told you that I love Japan? I thought you might! Was it the fact I’ve literally built an entire website about the country that gave it away? In any case after spending a year living here,…
I’ve lived in Japan for a long time, but for some reason, I’ve only ever seen Mount Fuji a handful of times. Most of those have been from relatively far away, so when the opportunity came to visit Lake Kawaguchi and the…
I’ve never really been into Halloween, but I quite enjoy occasions that mean I get to dress up in stupid clothing. So when the opportunity to visit one of the most famous fancy dress street parties in Japan came up, I couldn’t…
You’ve done it! You’ve planned your trip to Japan, saved up, and finally landed in Tokyo. Now what? Depending on the time your flight arrives (or how tired you are), you can often find yourself with a few hours or just short…
Have you arrived in Tokyo early in the morning and don’t know what to do? Or perhaps you’ve got some time to fill before your plans in the evening. It’s a situation I’ve found myself in many times, so I thought I’d…
I think I’d guess correctly if I said that you want to see at least some sort part of traditional Japan, authentic Japan, temples, and Japanese countryside, on your trip. Despite the fact you may be coming all this way to buy…
If you’ve used this quiz to help you decide on where to visit in Japan, and this calculator to make sure it’s affordable, I’ll bet you’ve got one of two visions in mind. The first is probably the loud, noisy, and cyberpunk-esque…
Tokyo is… a lot. It’s overwhelmingly big, loud, and visually noisy. So, I do my best to find as many relaxing places in Tokyo as possible, Yanaka Ginza being the newest entry to that list. Yanaka Ginza is not only a brilliant…
I start lots of these introductions by telling you how I love geeky things, and this is no different. Akihabara is an otaku’s paradise and if there’s one place that summarizes that perfectly, it’s Radio Kaikan. Radio Kaikan is one of the…
I love researching the best places to go when I go on holiday, especially when it’s in Japan. I love planning, and I love knowing I’ve got the money to do it all. But I can absolutely see that for some people,…
Tokyo is the biggest city in the world, and it’s almost perpetually busy. My local commuter train pretty much always has 0 seats available despite the day or time of year, and the same is true for a lot of places up…
Questions like ‘Is Nikko worth visiting?’ are some of the most common ones I end up answering every week by email. Some of them make it into an article, and some of them don’t for a variety of reasons, but Nikko, somewhere…
Every time I travel somewhere new in Japan, I always like to look at the possible day trips from that location as well. One well-known place that I recently visited myself (which is perfect for day trips from Hiroshima) is Miyajima. But…
After living in Japan for almost ten months, there are a few things that have become obvious. The food is fantastic, the public transport is beyond convenient, and there are far too many places to visit in a year, let alone a…
There are a few animal-based activities on most people’s itineraries when they come to Japan. No doubt leading that list are the deers in Nara Park. But, is Nara worth visiting just to see these deer, or are you better to spend…
This is one of those articles I’ve been waiting to write for a long time. I get to help people decide between two of my favorite places in Japan! Both areas you may consider on your trip to Japan, but out of…
I’ve ridden in more trains, flown on more planes, and walked on more streets in Japan without a plan than I’d care to remember. I love the spontaneity of it all, but is this really the best way to explore the country?…
For a lot of people, traveling around Japan without a care in the world is a lifelong dream. Unfortunately, there’s the small issue of the language barrier that makes things a little difficult! So, do you need to learn the language before…
Traveling around and exploring some of the most well-known attractions in Tokyo is a great idea if you’ve never come here before. However, if you’re looking to truly get to grip with what the city has to offer, you’ll want to dive…
Other than Shinkansen and Japan’s last sleeper train, flying is probably my transport method of choice. Unfortunately, there was a chunk of time when the cost of getting over here become almost impossible and left many of us (including me) asking the…
The problem with having a holiday in Japan, is that you often don’t have as much time as you like in any one area. Of course, when you make the trip from the your home country to Japan, you’ve probably already decided…
This is a place consistently ranked as one of the best things to do in Osaka, so I decided to visit it twice to figure out the answer to the question ‘Is Osaka Castle worth visiting?’ Spoiler alert: I don’t think it…
If it sells any form of retro, vintage, or modern geekery, I’m all about it. I’ve visited Akihabara extensively as that is usually my go-to location for things like that, and it’s a great excuse to browse more Japanese Pokemon cards and…
A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to go skiing in Niseko. It’s been a bucket list item of mine for many years now and it felt absolutely awesome to finally be able to tick it off! To get to Niseko,…
Skiing is one of my top 3 favorite things to do in the world. Skiing in Japan is on another level entirely, and something I’m convinced the majority of my future ski seasons are going to consist of. However, while I pride…
Japan is a flipping cool country. Whether you’re here for the food, the scenery, the pop culture, or any number of other things, we all share a love of this place together. You’ll probably agree with me then when I say it’s…
Osaka is an incredible city and one that should be on any first-time visitors’ itinerary. The atmosphere is laid back, the small backstreets are heaven for the intrepid explorer, and the whole place (especially Dontonbori) is a visual feast for the eyes!…
There are a few things you should absolutely plan to do on your first trip to Japan: Cross Shibuya Scramble, Visit the country’s ancient capital of Kyoto, and bathe in an onsen, just to name a few. However, there’s one activity many…
With so many places to visit, many people wonder whether it's worth taking a trip outside the capital to visit. Let me tell you what I think!…
For a lot of people, traveling around Japan without a care in the world is a lifelong dream. However, many people often wonder whether you need to know Japanese before you go, to make the most of your trip.…
As someone who loves to travel and loves the outdoors, it's no surprise that I've chosen to write about one of Japan's most beautiful parks.…
If you're someone who's been to Japan more than once, or someone who loves an adventure, you're probably looking for something a little different from what the tourist books have to offer.…
One of my favourite things to do in Japan is walk around the beautiful gardens the country has to offer. But what if you live in America?…
It’s an unfortunate truth that so many of us who want to travel to Japan every year, won’t be able to.…
Chances are high if you're visiting Japan in the spring time that you've got one thing on your mind. The Cherry Blossom!…
Japan is a bucket list destination for many and takes a load of planning which makes it so important to make the most of each and every day over there.…
let's get one thing cleared up straight out of the gate. If you're thinking about planning a ski trip to Japan, let me save you the trouble of reading this article.…
Going to Japan might seem like a big logistical ordeal. I'm here to tell you that it really doesn't have to be that way. In fact, I think it could be quite enjoyable but maybe I'm just a research nerd!…
Believe it or not, 'Surfing' in Japan dates all the way back to the Edo period (1603-1868)…
Tokyo got the best of you? In need of somewhere to relax in the big city? I've done the research to bring you the 5 best places to chill out or relax in Tokyo. Whether you're a solo traveller or with a…
Decided to finally take the plunge and book your flight to Japan? Let me show you how to prepare for it and survive your long-haul flight!…
