Travel Tips

Tono is in central Iwate Prefecture in northeast Japan. It's an area steeped in Japanese mythology, having provided the inspiration for The Legends of Tono, a 1910 work of collected folktales regarded as the Japanese equivalent of Grimms' Fairy Tales (1812).
Tono culture guardians guide visitors through traditional Tono
One of the magariya in the village
Tono's traditions aren't purely mythological. There are many tangible traditions that visitors to the area can enjoy and experience. The Tono Furusato Village is one such place where you can explore Tono's traditional landscape, and by taking part in one of the village's experience programs, you can dig deeper into Tono's rich history and culture.
Tono Furusato Village is a model village that recreates the feel of Tono during the Edo-period (1603–1867). The atmospheric village is dominated by large thatched-roof houses known as magariya. The recreated buildings and landscape are so detailed and authen..

Clark Little made a splash in 2009 when he self-published “The Shorebreak Art of Clark Little.” The coffee-table book, with forewords from old friends Kelly Slater and Jack Johnson, visually chronicled his story from Northern California to the North Shore and his personal journey from shorebreak surfer, reckless four wheeler and botanical gardener to arguably one of the most famous ocean photographers in the world. Thirteen years later—after countless thrashings in the heavy Hawaiian shorebreak—Clark has saved some of his best work for his third, and perhaps final book, “The Art of Waves,” while also sharing some insights of his craft.

“h2ornado”
North Shore, Oahu

How did your latest, and perhaps final, book come about?

I hadn’t planned on publishing another book but the timing was right. My first two were self-published; it was a lot of work, and worth it, but I wasn’t going to do it again. An editor contacted me right after the Covid lockdowns with the concept for “The Art of Wav..

Hidden away in the mountains of Yamagata is a hot spring town where traditional ryokan are surrounded by forests. Visitors come to Hijiori Onsen to enjoy the famous hot springs, exceptional farm-fresh Japanese cuisine, and a romantic stay at one of the many family-operated inns. The town feels pleasantly lost in time far away from the bright lights of the city.

Of the thousands of hot spring towns and villages throughout Japan, few feel quite so remote as Hijiori Onsen. Buried in the mountainous hinterlands of Okura-mura, this local hot spring resort resides in the heart of a volcanic caldera, from which mineral-rich waters feed the innumerable bathhouses and onsen ryokan dotted throughout the tiny hamlet.

Hijiori Onsen is locally famous for the legendary—and often-thought miraculous—healing waters. Few travelers outside Japan have wandered these streets, while town folk rarely travel beyond the mountains that surround this valley. Yet the residents, nearly all descendants of the ori..

When a Buddhist monk visited an isolated part of the Iwate coast 350 years ago, he saw it much as it remains today, a peaceful inlet formed by towering volcanic white rocks, contrasting beautifully with the blue ocean waters and green pine groves crowning the larger of these stone islands. He was so moved that he named it Jodogahama (Pureland Beach) after the Buddhist paradise.

Today, Jodogahama is a popular area for tourists and locals to walk along the coast enjoying the stunning rock formations. During summer, the pebble beach is packed with families swimming in the protected bay. Some spend the night in Miyako just to see the sun rise over the ocean from there. What most people don’t know is that it’s possible to go sea kayaking right here along this breathtaking coastline in the middle of the Sanriku National Park.

I’ve been living in Iwate for more than ten years, and have visited Jodogahama at least a dozen times. It wasn’t until 2020 when I first saw a small group of kayaker..

Joshinetsu National Park, which includes Shiga Kogen, is located in Honshu’s rugged mountainous interior. Signs of human activity quickly disappear just a few steps off the path in this pristine natural setting where wildlife encounters are common in green season. It’s famously home to an adorable group of onsen-lounging snow monkeys as well as one of Japan’s classic ski resorts. Yet when the temperatures rise in summer, the Shiga Kogen highlands are the perfect place for a refreshing escape.

The mountains in the popular Shiga Kogen Ski Area range from 1,300 to over 2,300 meters. This ensures great conditions when other resorts further down in the valley are struggling with lack of snow or warmer temperatures. The high altitude also makes the area a great place to beat the heat in summer while exploring a wide network of hiking trails. There are stunning alpine drives, traditional inns with soothing hot springs and outdoor fun and adventure for the whole family.

Lake Onuma and Akais..

While Hokkaido is covered in snow and ice in winter, the far north of Japan’s northernmost island is ideal for cycling and sightseeing in summer. The Okhotsk Region, home to a variety of wild animals nourished by abundant nature and quintessential Hokkaido culture and cuisine, is a great place to escape Japan’s sweltering summer down south.

The drift ice in the Sea of Okhotsk is a popular winter attraction, but in summer, enjoy expanses of wild flowers scattered along the coast, migratory birds flying over the lake, a rural landscape extending in a patchwork over the hills and the Akan-Mashu National Park with its beautiful landscape featuring a volcano, lake and primeval forest.

Okhotsk Tour Long Cycling Route

Distance: 224.9 kilometersRequired Time: 16 hrs. 50 minutes

This route starts at Memanbetsu Airport and takes in views of the mountains, sea and lakes at Bihoro Pass, Sekihoku Pass, Lake Notoro and the Sea of Okhotsk. It’s a long route that will take multiple days and requi..

Japan gets a lot of snow, but few places get snow as light and dry as Hachimantai’s “Aspirin Powder.” It’s all thanks to the uniquely dry climate of northern Tohoku far from the west coast.

Welcome to Hachimantai, the heart of northern Tohoku, at the foot of mighty Mt. Iwate with great powder snow and plenty of space for the whole family. There’s something for everyone at Hachimantai, from insanely good tree skiing to immaculately groomed trails including some long, nearly empty beginner runs. Beyond the resorts, embark on breathtaking backcountry snow adventures with guides and snowcats. There is also a variety of luxury hotels to friendly unique lodges.

APPI: Japan’s Biggest Powder Zone

Appi Snow Mountain Resort is a world-class ski resort and arguably Japan’s largest resort. Powder snow season starts in the middle of December and lasts till the end of March. Appi offers 75 hectares of fantastic Tree Run Zones plus 50 hectares of ungroomed runs, boasting the most “Japow” terrain ..

Explore Onna with clear views from above and below the colorful sea.

The Onna Coastline stretches nearly 30-kilometers on the west side of Okinawa’s main island facing the East China Sea. Cape Maeda and its Blue Cave attract throngs of snorkelers and divers. The limestone cliffs at Cape Manzamo and the underwater observatory at Busena Marine Park are also popular summer attractions.

There are many beautiful beaches to choose from to get away from the crowds, some free, some requiring a fee: Manza Beach, Moon Beach, Mission Beach and Tiger Beach to name a few.

Tiger Beach connects to Fuchaku Beach and is directly in front of Hotel Monterey Spa & Resort. It’s also the base for the Tiger Beach Resort Club, which offers a variety of marine activities and wellness programs whether you are a guest or day tripper. For easy ocean fun, their Sea Walk is a great way to introduce the underwater world. Anyone 8 years old and up can jump into one of the suits, accompanied by an instructor, and ..

We all love dinosaurs, and dinosaur-mania is in overdrive again thanks to the release of Jurassic World Dominion (July 29, 2022, in Japan), the final chapter in the saga that began with Jurassic Park. At least until the next reboot.

But did you know Japan is also big on dino-DNA? There are even a couple named after Fukui Prefecture—fukuiraptor and fukuisaurus. So what better way to celebrate the next film than by having a Jurassic jaunt through the country?

Drop down on the floor and everybody do the dinosaur. These are the best places to see dinos in Japan.

1. Dino Adventure Nagoya (Nagoya)

For very young dinosaur fans, there are plenty of places to have some dinosaur adventures in Aichi. Near Oudaka station, there is a popular spot called Kyouryu Hiroba where children can see the twin Tyrannosauruses Dai-chan and Kou-chan. If you can handle moving closer, you’ll see that both welcome little ones as both dinosaurs have built-in slides in their tails.

Older kids will probably want..