Travel Tips

Yokohama is a beautiful city beside Yokohama Bay and just about half an hour south of Tokyo. Consistently voted as one of Japan’s most livable cities, Yokohama offers all the expected conveniences of a major city, alongside quite a few unique features which make it an absolutely need-to-visit destination. Here's all you need to know about where to stay in Yokohama on your next trip.
1. How to select where to stay in Yokohama
Image: PIXTA
a. Ease of access to/from the airport
Yokohama is very favorably located in terms of airports.
To/From Haneda Airport to Yokohama Station
・Train: You can get from Haneda Airport to Yokohama Station directly by train (via Keikyu Airport Line, 26 minutes, 370 yen o/w). Note that this train is not covered under the Japan Rail Pass.
・Bus: Haneda Airport Limousine Bus (24 minutes, 590 yen o/w).
・Taxi: Going to Yokohama by taxi is more expensive (around 9,000 yen or more o/w) than going by train, but if you direct the driver to take the Metropolitan E..

The Amami Islands are located between Kyushu and Okinawa, southwest of Yakushima. Their abundance of beautiful coral and tropical fish makes them a destination especially popular with divers and snorkelers. The largest city is Amami, on the main island of Amami Oshima.
Browse & Book hotels in Kagoshima
1. Sakibaru Beach
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Tucked away down a narrow footpath, very few tourists know about this hidden gem of a beach.
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Sakibaru Beach is a sure to make you say 'WOW' as the gorgeous scenery is revealed, of perfect blue seas and soft white sand. Enjoy this secluded piece of paradise!
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Sakibaru Beach
3622 Kasaricho Oaza Kise, Amami, Kagoshima 894-05072. Kasarizaki Lighthouse
Kasarizaki Lighthouse sits at a scenic spot on the most northern point of the island, known as 'Yo Misaki' Cape to the locals. From the top of the lighthouse you can get a fantastic panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. Ships sailing nearby have long relied on this historic light..

Summer in Japan is associated with matsuri (festivals) like the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto or the Tanabata Matsuri in Sendai. It’s also when the beaches get crowded with everyone trying to enjoy the season. While it’s fun experiencing all the seasonal attractions that come with the season, it’s hard to deny the unbearable heat and humidity that comes with spending the day outdoors.

Once the heat sinks in, solar ultraviolet radiation increases which can lead to sun damage like developing premature wrinkles. Thankfully a quick trip to a yakkyoku (pharmacy) and picking up a good sunscreen can help prevent this.

Sunscreen related kanji
Photo: iStock/ YukikMake sunscreen a part of your daily routine.
Here’s a quick list of sunscreen related kanji (Japanese writing) and words you might need.

English
Japanese
Romaji
Sunscreen
日（ひ）焼（や）け止（ど）め
hiyakedome
Tone-up (skin brightening)
トーンアップ
ton appu
Comes off with soap
石（せっ）鹸（けん）オフ / 石（せっ）鹸（けん）で落（お）とし
sekken ofu / sekken de otoshi
Sensitive skin
敏（びん..

As Japan's largest prefecture by size, Hokkaido has a wealth of terrain to traverse – and it's also home to a wide variety of unique accommodation options. If you're looking for somewhere different to stay for your next trip to the region, this guide covers some great spots to consider.
Ice Village Tomamu Hokkaido's Ice Village Tomamu is a fun place to visit during the winter months, as it's home to a variety of unique attractions including an ice bar, an ice skating rink, and an ice chapel. For a limited time each year there's also an ice hotel, where not just the walls and ceiling are made of ice, but the furniture, too! The hotel's availability dates differ from year to year, so please visit the official Ice Village Tomamu website for updates.
Nakatomamu, Shimukappu, Yufutsu District, Hokkaido 079-2204
Station Inn Hirafu Often when considering accommodation options, proximity to a train station is a deciding factor. With that in mind, it's ..

From time to time, the Hotel Intercontinental Tokyo Bay offers some amazing themed concept rooms available to stay in – for instance, late last year they debuted a Frozen-themed room, perfect for fans of the popular Disney movies. This summer, the hotel has opted for a mermaid design, and all of the little details are thoughtfully considered.
The overall color scheme of the mermaid room is a stunning emerald green, inspired by cooling lagoon waters. With decor accents like sparkly mermaid scale blankets, dried sea fan coral, and seashell-shaped cushions, the room is designed to make you feel as if you've been transported to a world under the sea. If that wasn't enough, the view from the room is also water-themed, looking out over the picturesque Tokyo Bay.
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The mermaid concept room offers both four hour “day stay” plans that come with afternoon tea, or overnight accommodation plans for those who would like to enjoy the space for a longer period..

Sometimes too much choice is bewildering. Just ask someone looking at the menu of 100 dishes. That can be the feeling with a Japan Rail Pass, as you can have over 100 itineraries with a 7-day ¥30,000+ pass.
On the other hand, a 5-day pass covering West Japan for ¥10,000, strikes the right balance between choice and value. The following itinerary gives you good coverage of western Japan, and while it is a bit rushed, is a good taster for people who like to see the smaller cities and country areas of Kansai, as well as the ability to try the different trains offered by JR West. The hotels in smaller cities can be a bit cheaper, while this pass gives you a chance for day trips to the more expensive cities like Osaka and Kyoto.
Day 1 Kansai Airport to Takamatsu or Naoshima The Haruka Limited Express is a comfortable option from Kansai Airport to Shin Osaka. It does not stop in Osaka, so for a taste of Japan's second-biggest city, get off at Tennoji Station if you want a mini-break. ..

Kagoshima Prefecture is in southwestern Kyushu, and also includes islands such as Yakushima, whose untouched forests have been designated a natural World Heritage Site. In addition, Kagoshima has several volcanoes, including the famous Sakurajima.
Browse & Book a hotel in Kagoshima
1. Sakurajima
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An island just outside of Kagoshima with an active volcano frequently spewing ash-filled smoke from its peak.
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Despite this, people live comfortably on Sakurajima, and many travelers visit by ferry every year. The island has many onsens to soak in, and several shops sell fruits and vegetables grown there. Be sure to get some giant radishes made that way from the volcanic ash in the soil.
Sakurajima
Sakurajimaakamizucho, Kagoshima, 891-14202. Steam sand baths
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At Ibusuki Beach, the steam sand baths allow you to lie in the sand, while the hot geothermal steam from below heats you. Just lie down on the beach in yukata clothes; an attendant will use a shovel to ..

Many people work a healthy dose of retail therapy into their travel plans, and Japan is home to a number of outlet malls that offer a variety of stores in the one place with discounted prices. This guide covers nine different outlet malls across the country.
Gotemba Premium Outlets, Shizuoka With over 200 stores to browse through, Shizuoka's Gotemba Premium Outlets is one of Japan's most popular outlet mall locations. One of the highlights here isn't the shopping, though – it's the incredible view of Mount Fuji you can get as you wander around on clear days.
312 Fukasawa, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-0023
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Rinku Premium Outlets, Osaka Conveniently located across from Kansai International Airport, Rinku Premium Outlets offers a resort-style atmosphere as you shop. The venue is home to around 250 stores, with both Japanese and international brands available.
3-28 Rinkuoraiminami, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8508
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Kumamoto Prefecture's topography is dominated by volcanic Mt. Aso and is particularly famous for Kumamoto Castle, one of the greatest Japanese castles that has survived to the present day.
Browse & Book a hotel in Kumamoto
1. Yachiyoza Theater
Famous for its revolving stage, tatami “box seats,” and a corridor for the actors to pass through the audience to the stage, the Yachiyoza Theater first opened in 1911 as a popular center where residents could see Kabuki performances.
Reopened in the late 1980s, the theater is now designated an Important Cultural Property. Tours are available so you can view the traditional Japanese theater architecture. Also, be sure to check out the Yumekogura Museum with theater memorabilia.
Yachiyoza Theater
1499 Yamaga, Kumamoto 861-05012. Kumamoto Castle
Kumamoto Castle is known as one of the best castles in Japan.
The local feudal lord, Kato Kiyomasa, began constructing the castle in 1601, and it was completed seven years later. Although some of the ..

Who would have thought that Kumamoto is the adventure capital of Kyushu? Here you can go snowboarding on a winter's day in nearby Gokase Highland Ski and Snowboard resort, and earlier in the same day, ride through amber fields straight from Aso Kumamoto Airport in just your lycra. It is probably as close as you can get to “helicopter-cycling”, or being able to be dropped from the plane and cycle downhill. Being in the sub-tropical southern island of Kyushu, a sunny winter’s day means the temperature is no excuse to stop you from riding, or wandering through the rice fields and taking in the butterflies and the gentle streams less than an hour from the city center or the airport.
One of the places that might stop you from your wandering is the Inari Shrine. While the rice fields and bamboo forests are bereft of human activity, the neat roads and flower fields suggest more quietness than a deserted landscape. Likewise, the Inari shrine, while devoid of a physical human presence, is..