I felt anxious as I drove onto the Noto Peninsula, but not necessarily in a bad way.
Continue ReadingKanazawa for Any Traveler
I hope the insights I’ve gained over the course of my many trips help you as you plan yours.
Continue ReadingWisteria, Without the Worry
Ashikaga Flower Park is beautiful year-round, but is probably only worth visiting when the wisteria are in bloom.
Continue ReadingTokyo’s Most Underrated Day Trip
It was only because of a wild hair that I even bothered to stop at Omiya Bonsai Village on my way back to Tokyo.
Continue ReadingToyama, at Long Last
Is Toyama worth visiting?
Continue ReadingPromise of the Petals
They weren’t pulverized—they had vaporized.
Continue ReadingWhy You Can’t Fly from Miami to Tokyo
Eventually, there will be a nonstop Miami to Tokyo flight—that’s what airlines have been saying for decades.
Continue Reading30 (More) Pictures to Inspire Your Sakura Travels
Even if you don’t have as much time as I do to obsess over beautiful flowers that die a few days after they bloom.
Continue ReadingWhy Takayama Takes Time
It isn’t quick to get from Tokyo to Takayama, though it is relatively easy.
Continue ReadingFushimi Inari Shrine at Night
Seeing Kyoto’s famous orange gates lit up in the darkness, wind blowing mysteriously through the evergreens that tower overhead, is nothing short of a magical experience.
Continue ReadingJapan for Newbies
My first lesson about planning your first trip to Japan: Don’t count on it being the last.
Continue ReadingKyoto’s Sake Secret
The sake town of Fushimi is as central to the story of Kyoto as Arashiyama or Higashiyama—and I hope you’ll take the time to see why.
Continue ReadingCherry Blossoms Aren’t the Only Japanese Flowers
You can enjoy seasonal flowers in Japan, even if you don’t visit during sakura season.
Continue ReadingSado Starts Here
Sado Island has something for every kind of traveler.
Continue ReadingThe Low-Key Best Month to Visit Japan
There are almost no downsides to visiting Japan in May.
Continue ReadingIs Atami Worth Visiting?
It’s not hard to see why Atami was once the place to be.
Continue ReadingIs This Japan’s Most Dangerous Hike?
The hike to Nageiredo isn’t dangerous, or even especially harrowing.
Continue ReadingDoes Tokyo Have Snow?
The weather in Tokyo isn’t what you probably think it is.
Continue ReadingShould You Fly Into Haneda or Narita?
Try not to overthink the HND vs NRT debate.
Continue ReadingThe Future of the Hokkaido Shinkansen
The extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen is imminent—and it will change the game for tourism.
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