For certain sorts of travelers, Nara might be a preferable overnight base to Kyoto.
Continue ReadingSan’yo Starts Here
When most non-Japanese people hear the word san’yō, they think of a slightly questionable electronics brand.
Continue ReadingThe Truth About the Green Car
If you’re expecting a luxurious or even exclusive experience, I think the green car is going to disappoint you.
Continue ReadingJapan’s Most Important Shrine
Can you visit Ise Shrine?
Continue ReadingA Jaunt to Japan’s Daruma Temple
Don’t for a single second fool yourself into thinking that this place is off Osaka’s beaten path.
Continue ReadingObama is Actually Outstanding
Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat—or even an American at all—Obama-cho is a standout destination.
Continue ReadingSometimes, the Snow Comes Down in June
By the time I finally got to the Japan snow tunnel, I’d been waiting literally for years.
Continue ReadingKagoshima’s Best-Kept Secret
If Kagoshima is where Japan ends, then the Satsuma Peninsula is where Kagoshima ends.
Continue ReadingThe Truth About Flying Delta to Japan
In a market served by some of the world’s best airlines, I’m not sure that “great” is good enough.
Continue ReadingShikoku’s Best-Kept Secret
Tokushima’s Awa Odori Festival is right up there with the best of them.
Continue ReadingHow to Choose Between Tokushima and Takamatsu
If you absolutely must decide, I can help you make the right pick.
Continue ReadingWhy to See Japan’s Snowiest City in Summer
The Aomori Nebuta Matsuri is a pain to attend, but I promise you: It’s worth it!
Continue ReadingThe #1 Reason to Visit Akita
Akita is a corner of Japan that’s impressed me since my first trip there almost six years ago. Back then, in the dead of winter, I took an unassuming winter sojourn to Kakunodate Samurai district—I was hooked; the rest is history. Only it wasn’t. Over the years, I’ve returned to a number of places in […]
Continue ReadingWhy You Should Stay the Night in Nara
Everything changed when I decided to stay overnight in Nara.
Continue ReadingOff Okinawa’s Beaten Path
Miyako presents a conundrum.
Continue ReadingTohoku’s Tamest Summer Festival
The Sendai Tanabata Matsuri is probably not what you’re expecting.
Continue ReadingJapan’s Fabulous Fireworks
You’re never far from a hanabi display—well, at least not if you visit Japan in summer.
Continue ReadingKanagawa’s Top Tokyo Day Trip
Is Yokohama or Kamakura a better excursion from Tokyo?
Continue ReadingHow Japan’s Hawaii Compares to the Original
The topic of Okinawa vs Hawaii is somewhat loaded—and not just for reasons of national pride.
Continue ReadingSummer at Point Nemo
So green were the aforementioned leaves, even more than halfway through summer, that it was credible to posit autumn might not ever come again.
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