The denouement of this year’s sakura sojourn was the only place where everything finally made sense to me.
Continue Reading
Osaka’s Spiritual Sakura
Osaka, broadly speaking, is a city that always exceeds my expectations.
Continue Reading
Himeji Money Shot
I always forget how cold the Japanese spring can be.
Continue Reading
Tempers Flare in Takamatsu
Sakura makes you do crazy things—at least it makes me do crazy things.
Continue Reading
Matsuyama and Miracles
I caught a glimpse of Matsuyama Castle as the flight I was supposed to miss made its final approach.
Continue Reading
Tokyo Never Sleeps
Things to do in Tokyo at night are nearly as numerous as the lights on Tokyo’s illuminated skyline.
Continue Reading
How to Visit Tokyo’s Lucky Cat Temple
Whether you call it Gotokuji Temple or the “Lucky Cat” temple, there’s nowhere else in Tokyo—or Japan—like it.
Continue Reading
Shinjuku vs. Shibuya
Is Shinjuku or Shibuya right for you?
Continue Reading
Find Your Favorite Kyoto
Whether you’re seeking a luxe ryokan in historical Higashiyama, or spacious, modern accommodations near Kyoto Station in Shimogyo, Kyoto is a place you’ll want to call home again and again.
Continue Reading
30 Pictures That Will Make You Want to Visit Japan in Winter
I hope my pictures of Japan in winter convey the magic of my experience—and that they inspire you to follow in my footsteps.
Continue Reading
King of the Snow Monsters
I felt like the king of Zao Onsen as I looked down on the Juyho.
Continue Reading
Does Tsuru no Yu Live Up to the Hype?
I knew I had to visit Tsuru no Yu the first time I ever saw an image of the onsen.
Continue Reading
The Truth About Japan’s Fox Village
I’m not ignorant to the controversy that surrounds this place.
Continue Reading
The Day I Fell in Love with Kanazawa
Kyoto might not be Japan’s most beautiful city.
Continue Reading
Amid Frozen Farmhouses
I looked down on the strange Gassho houses, which had apparently been built to resemble monks’ hands in prayer.
Continue Reading
Takayama Meltdown
It struck me, as my bus careened through the Japanese Alps toward Takayama this morning, how little snow seemed to be on the ground.
Continue Reading
The Primate Principle
Primates do what they want because they want it—not because they should.
Continue Reading
Kawagoe and Fake Flowers
I had to Google the answer Kawagoe residents have known since at least the time of the Great Fire.
Continue Reading
Winter Glow in Tokyo
When the sun set on yesterday, I was in awe.
Continue Reading
Osaka in Only Two Days
Here’s the knowledge to easily put together a first-rate trip of Japan’s second city.
Continue Reading
