Travel Tips

What's the first thing to mind when you think of Japan? Likely the familiar image of a beautiful snow-capped Mount Fuji. This iconic sacred mountain of Japan abounds in pristine nature, peaceful lakes, gushing springs, and many other scenic sights in all seasons.
There's no doubt the charming scenery here attracts travelers from all over Japan and the world, and we'll share with you in detail why people love this place so much.
Get ready to be taken around the vicinity of the mountain to such places as Kawaguchiko, Yamanakako, Fujiyoshida, Oshino Village, and Fujinomiya – all the hottest attractions in town. And we'll throw in our recommended places to stay near Mount Fuji as well, since it'll take much longer than a single day to enjoy everything the area has to offer fully!
Main image: PIXTA
Key points to deciding where to stay near Mount Fuji
(Image: PIXTA)
a. Visibility and proximity to Mt. Fuji
The selling point of many hotels around Mount Fuji is a clea..

Between the humidity of summer and the cold of winter, Kyoto City’s pleasant autumn weather is much-anticipated by locals eager to get back outdoors. Along with its mountainous surroundings, the city’s seemingly infinite array of temples and shrines in lush forests and parks provides breathtaking amber fall scenery!
From the beginning of November until early December, bright red maple leaves and dazzling golden ginkgo trees illuminate the region in a fiery display of mesmerizing patterns. Frequent days of fine weather make it an ideal time to spend the day outdoors snapping photos and soaking in nature!
Top image: Visun Khankasem / Shutterstock.com
What is Kyoto Like in Autumn?
Kyoto’s south, which holds the renowned Nanzen-ji Temple and Yasaka Shrine, experiences chilly November weather with average highs of 17°C and lows of 7.8°C (Japanese Meteorological Agency 1981-2010 Yearly Averages Report). While the final third of the month is traditionally colder, particularly during mornings..

Hakodate has become one of Hokkaido's top tourist spots. You'll want to take two days to really soak it all in! Historical buildings, colorful reminders of old foreign influence, line the streets evoking a retro feeling as you stroll along with them.
There is much to see and do, so we made the perfect Hakodate 2-Day Itinerary. Take in the night view from the top of Mt. Hakodate; sample gourmet cuisines, such as fresh squid dishes and shio ramen (ramen with a salty broth); visit the red brick warehouse district; and shop in the Hakodate morning market.
In this Hakodate 2-Day Itinerary, we also include a side trip to nearby Onuma, an area filled with gorgeous natural scenery. Let's dive right in!
■Day 1: Exploring Hakodate: Motomachi, Mt. Hakodate
■Day 1: Morning
Hakodate Airport → Hakodate City center (by car: about 8.5km, by bus: about 20 minutes)
Stroll through Motomachi
Route example:
Hakodate Airport → Hakodate Ekimae → Jujigai Tram Station
Advice: Drop your bags off ..

With Japan’s borders opening back up to individual foreign travelers for the first time since 2020, visitors to Tokyo will find plenty of new spots around town worth visiting. From the well-known city centers of Shinjuku and Shibuya to locations farther afield in Odaiba and Tokyo Disney Resort, the capital continues to evolve with time.

Here are five places to have on your radar for your next trip to Tokyo.

1. Japan Olympic Museum
Photo: Joshua Meyer
At the Japan Olympic Museum, you can experience pieces of Olympic history through seasonal exhibitions of photos, art, and competition equipment. Online reservations are currently required. The building is across the road from the new National Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2020 Summer Games were held.

Stadium tours are available through the official website (Japanese only), with the basic one (¥1,400 for adults) offering a peek at areas that are usually off-limits such as the racetrack and locker rooms. A VI..

The Dotonbori Konamon Museum is a perfect place to visit in Osaka with family. Konamon is what foods that are based on flour, like takoyaki and okonomiyaki, are called. It has been open since 2011 and very popular with tourists, to enjoy takoyaki, the soul food of Osaka, in a variety of fun ways.
A dojo where takoyaki is hand-cooked on copper plates, a warehouse where takoyaki sample models are made, and an exhibition panel that teaches the history of Dotonbori and konamon culture… and of course, takoyaki.
To Kansai locals, takoyaki is a specialty, yet I was surprised about all the many unexpected discoveries I made here when visiting with my kids.
Dotonbori Konamon Museum – Just Takoyaki?
Takoyaki is a very familiar food to the people of Kansai. Sometimes they are the main dish, other times they are served as snacks, with alcoholic drinks, as a party dish, as a snack for your guest… there is an amazing variety of ways in which takoyaki makes its appearance. Nonetheless, I have n..

Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's main islands, is a fantastic place to enjoy the great outdoors. There's no shortage of campsites and cottages where you can experience that first-hand, but if you want to get close to nature while enjoying the comforts of a hotel, glamping might be the best option for you.
Here, we'll take a look at some great glamping spots to experience Hokkaido in style and comfort.
We've carefully selected five of Hokkaido's many glamping sites: Muroran, Sapporo, Akai River near Otaru, Makari near Niseko, and Nakasatsunai near Obihiro. These spots are great for couples, families, or friends who want to get back to nature.
1. Muroran Glamping: Luxurious experience with a joint golf course (Muroran / Noboribetsu)
For each group, you can make use of the wooden terrace with your dome-like tent (Photo courtesy of Muroran Glamping)
Muroran Glamping is an exclusive glamping resort with an adjoining golf course that only allows two groups to ..

Japanese winter is amazing! Areas like Nagano and Yuzawa are known for their excellent powder snow and gain popularity with each season, drawing in not only Japanese winter sport fans but more and more visitors from abroad.
But when is the best time to ski and where to go? Let’s take a look at the different areas close to Tokyo and other need-to-know things about skiing and snowboarding in Japan.
When is the best time for skiing in Japan?
November to late March and early April is generally the ski season for Japan’s pistes. While the first snow varies by region, especially comparing East, West, and North, the opening times of resorts are roughly the same. Only those with abundant snowfall tend to be open longer, mostly throughout April.
When is Peak Season?
Ski resorts' peak season is mid-January to early February. The snowfall is particularly abundant during these months and the quality of the powder snow is also outstandingly good. However, a lot of snow also brings harsh coldn..

Halloween in Japan is super fun time of year! Originally a holiday celebrated more by expats has become something of an autumn festival in many areas around Japan.
On the weekend nearest Halloween, in Tokyo alone, Ningyocho and several other neighborhoods hold trick-or-treating events for children, drawing small crowds of excited kids.
But these organized events pale in comparison to Shibuya Halloween, which before Covid was expecting close to a million people to gather. So what to do and how to get your ghoul on in Tokyo’s iconic cosplay city? Read on!
Main image: PIXTA
1. Shibuya Halloween
Photo: PIXTA
For many young adults, Halloween is about having fun dressing up before meeting friends for drinks, clubbing, and snapping photos of everyone else in costume.
Each year, Shibuya becomes a magnet drawing huge crowds of giddy, costume-wearing people, many of whom are looking to participate in unofficial street parties and roam the area’s streets in search of fun. In 2022, there is no ..