Travel Tips

Ginza is the most exclusive and upmarket area in Tokyo. The elegant streets are lined with Michelin-starred restaurants and the flagship stores of some of the world’s most famous fashion brands. The area’s supremely stylish architecture has a strong Western influence, as seen at the WAKO department store, Ginza’s most famous landmark.
As one of Tokyo’s cultural hotspots, Ginza is also home to numerous contemporary art galleries as well as Kabuki-za, one of Japan’s most famous kabuki theaters. Located right in the heart of Tokyo, Ginza is a perfect base from which to see the rest of the city.
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How to choose where to stay in Ginza
Photo: PIXTA
There are a few things to consider when thinking about where to stay in Ginza. While there is plenty to see in Ginza, the area is relatively compact, and you will no doubt also be exploring the rest of Tokyo during your trip. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your accommodation in Ginza.
a. Access to and from Tok..

Even in the days of black-and-white filmmaking, Japanese filmmakers were leaders in the field of making audiences scared, uncomfortable and at times just plain perplexed. Japanese filmmakers have distinguished themselves to the degree that Japanese cinema is somewhat synonymous internationally with horror. Outside animation, horror has been their only other successful media export internationally.

So to help make your movie choices easier this Halloween, I’ve compiled this list of fantastic horror films from the 60s to now for you to freak out over on October 31.

1. Noroi: The Curse (2005)

Found footage was a short-lived phenomenon in the West that spawned a few unforgettable movies and many more forgettable ones, however, it may shock you that in Japan, a few dedicated filmmakers are keeping the genre alive and kicking. Foremost among these is Koji Shiraishi’s seminal work Noroi (curse). Noroi is the story of the disappearance of Kobayashi Masafumi, a paranormal researcher who was ..

In southern Wakayama Prefecture lies the area known as Nanki Shirahama. This area is one of the top resorts in the Kansai Region, famous for one of Japan's oldest hot springs, Shirahama Onsen. Rich in hot springs sources, Nanki Shirahama is a resort town that boasts plenty of hot spring inns, footbaths, and day-trip destinations.
Read on to learn about some of Shirahama Onsen's most popular hot spring tourist attractions and hotels.
Photo courtesy of Shirahama Town Hall Tourism Division
What is Shirahama Onsen all about?
Shirarahama Beach during sea-bathing season (Photo courtesy of Nanki Shirahama Tourism Association)
Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture, is home to a popular tourist attraction known for the white sandy shores of its namesake beach, Shirarahama Beach. The region is also known as Nanki Shirahama for its location in the southern part of the Kii Peninsula.
Shirarahama is a white beach that extends about 620m in length. Its emerald green waters and coconut trees..

Japan is full of places with long histories and well-preserved traditions that have withstood the test of time. Through careful preservation, many still retain their old-fashioned atmospheres that modern structures do not have. This is a unique part of Japan, which values its history and traditions. And today's plan will introduce one highly-recommended spot you won't want to skip during your next visit to Japan!
Here, we'll check out Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, a traditional inn in Yamanashi Prefecture that the Guinness World Records have recognized as the oldest hotel in the world!
Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan: The world's oldest hotel
Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan is located in the mountains of Hayakawa-cho in western Yamanashi Prefecture in the Chubu Region. It's about three and a half hours from Tokyo by car. Incidentally, Hayakawa-cho is also the town with the smallest population in Japan.
Its history is astonishing. The springs were discovered in 705, over 1,300 ye..

Sendai is one of Japan’s largest cities and is considered the gateway to the northeastern region of Tohoku. Around 90 minutes via the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo, Sendai is home to a variety of attractions, festivals, and hot springs. Sendai is also next door to Matsushima, one of Japan’s Three Most Scenic Places.
As the cultural heart of Tohoku, Sendai is a popular place to stay for travelers. Here we’ll share some of the best places to stay in and nearby the city.
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1. Getting to Sendai from Tokyo
Sendai Station area. Photo: PIXTA
・Bullet Train: Taking the Tohoku Shinkansen is the easiest way of getting from Tokyo to Sendai. The trip is a straight shot taking around 90 minutes (11,210 yen o/w; can be covered by the Japan Rail Pass, JR East Tohoku Area Pass, and JR East South Hokkaido Pass).
・Bus: The trip from Tokyo to Sendai by bus will take 5 to 6 hours. There are both day and night buses, and the fares change depending on the company, dates, and time of tra..

Sapporo is a beautiful city in the southwestern part of Hokkaido, about half an hour from New Chitose Airport. Famous for its beer, skiing, and annual Sapporo Snow Festival, the city 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 Sapporo on your next trip.
Main image: PIXTA
Getting to and around Sapporo
The Sapporo Streetcar system is a convenient way of getting around the city. Photo: PIXTA
At the moment, Sapporo is not connected to the Shinkansen bullet train network, though it is scheduled to be by 2030.
Getting to Sapporo by train
To get to Sapporo from Tokyo using the Japan Rail Pass, you need to go via Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. It is a 4-hour trip (o/w) on the JR Tohoku/Hokkaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. You then need to take a Hokuto Limited Express train to Sapporo Station, which takes arou..

Hakodate is a beautiful city on the southern tip of Hokkaido. It holds the unique characteristic of being like a gateway to Hokkaido. This port city is the last stop on the Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen (bullet train) line, via Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station, and the first stop on the train network for onward travel into Hokkaido.
Here's all you need to know about where to stay in Hakodate on your next trip.
Main image: PIXTA
1. Getting to and from Hakodate
Hakodate townscape and Hakodate streetcar (Photo: PIXTA)
Currently, Hakodate is the final stop on the Shinkansen network, with regular trains connecting this city with the rest of Hokkaido.
You can use the Japan Rail Pass to reach Hakodate, but it is a 4-hour one-way trip on the JR Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto. For onward travel to, for example, Sapporo, you can take a Hokuto Limited Express train which takes just over 3.5 hours.
From Tokyo, flying to Hakodate is a quicker option as it only takes ..

Located in peaceful Saitama, Kawagoe is the perfect place to feel like you've stepped back in time to experience ancient Japan. But what exactly awaits you in this traditional town?
Kawagoe overview and history
From Tokyo Station, Kawagoe takes just one hour to get to by train, making it a great day trip from the city center to experience a little slice of traditional Japan.
The former castle town is often referred to as “Little Edo” (ko-edo in Japanese), with good reason. Tokyo was previously called Edo, giving way to the Edo period (1603-1867). During this time, wealthy merchants from Kawagoe were inspired by the Edo-style buildings they came across in the capital and wanted to bring that back to Kawagoe.
One of the characteristic buildings from that period was Kura Zukuri, or “storehouses.” These Kura Zukuri had thick walls of 8-10 inches. In the Kawagoe Great Fire of 1893, many buildings burnt down, but some of the Kura Zukuri survived. Unfortunately, the same could not be s..