Travel Tips

Japan's Shizuoka tea is indeed delicious. But there are more ways to enjoy it than simply drinking it! Take a trip to Shizuoka, the city of tea, and sip a soothing cup in the great outdoors with the gentle breeze on your face. Or pair it with a popular gelato at a trendy cafe! Shizuoka's tea shops and confectionaries offer a variety of specialty Japanese teas and sweets and various ways to enjoy them.
Today, we first join the LIVE JAPAN editing team on Ihachi Nouen's terrace for a laid-back tea-tasting session. So please grab a cup and sip tea with us as we enjoy the gorgeous garden view and learn all about Shizuoka tea!
Tea Tasting Experience on Ihachi Nouen Terrace
Mr. Takuya Shigeta is a 15th-generation tea farmer at Ihachi Nouen, a tea garden with a history of 120 years. Mr. Shigeta takes on the challenge of cultivating pesticide-free, organic teas and has developed the tea terrace to share the glorious garden scenery with as many people as possible.
Today, our edit..

Ponshukan is popular among Japanese sake lovers from near and far. This famous sake shop in Niigata, one of Japan’s largest sake brewing regions, is home to a huge array of local brews.
The Echigo Sake Museum Ponshukan at JR Niigata Station gathers the prefecture’s offerings in one place. Here we'll take you inside Ponshukan Niigata and share five of the shop’s most recommended sake, recommended by a sake master, no less.
Ponshukan Sake Museum: Niigata Sake and Souvenirs
In Japan, there is this huge range of alcohol that the world just doesn’t seem to know about. From incredibly elegant sakes to casual weekend beers, we love them all.
But sake (“nihonshu” in Japanese) is Japan's most famous alcohol, so more and more tourists are seeking it out on their Japan travels. But with so many different flavors (sweet, dry, this yeast or that yeast, the list goes on), people are often easily confused…
That’s where Ponshukan’s guide comes in.
Founded on the concept of “talking about..

Today, we’re going to check out Nemuro Hanamaru, a sushi chain popular with locals, that originated in the fishing village of Nemuro. As it’s surrounded by water on all sides, Hokkaido is where you can find exquisite sushi at great prices – even in conveyor belt sushi restaurants.
But great prices aren’t all that makes Nemuro Hanamaru special! Read on as we take you inside.
1. What’s Nemuro Hanamaru all about?
The area of Nemuro, where Nemuro Hanamaru originated, faces the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk and is where the fishing industry thrives. The public was called on to suggest names for the restaurant, and Nemuro Hanamaru eventually got its name from a submission by an older adult living in Nemuro! How, then, did this name come about?
First, Nemuro is home to many places like “Hanasakiminato” and “Hanasaki Kaidō” that have in their names ‘hana,’ which means flower in Japanese. Second, the ‘hanamaru’ is a circular hand-drawn symbol that signifies affirmation and means “very ..

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Birthdays are special occasions and spending these days abroad away from family can be stressful for most people. During the three years, I’ve lived in Japan, I have made it a habit to travel to a new prefecture every birthday to feel less lonely. My husband and I chose Yamaguchi this year and had an adventurous week there.

We left Kobe before sunrise and arrived in Yamaguchi after a seven-hour drive. Along the way, we stopped by a few places around Hiroshima to rest and gaze at views of the Seto Inland Sea. Here’s what we got up to:

First stop: Iwakuni
Photo: Bahanur AlisogluA piece of history.
Our first destination, Iwakuni, is best known for the five-arch wooden Kintai Bridge that runs across the Nishiki River. Kikko Park has samurai-era residences and most of the area’s albino snakes. These snakes are considered national treasures and very hard to come by. From the park, a cable car ascends to the top of Mount Shiroyama, offering panoramic views of Iwakuni Castle.

Discovering Ak..

Arashiyama is a pleasant tourist destination on Kyoto City’s western side, popular for its beauty, attractions, and landmarks. It is often visited while traveling to Kyoto, but it’s also a great place to stay. Here we’ll share some of the best ryokan inns and hotels in Arashiyama.
Main image: PIXTA
1. Getting to and around Arashiyama
The Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street, around a 20-minute walk north of the Bamboo Forest, is a quiet area with 19th century wooden homes and shops. Photo: PIXTA
Arashiyama is easy to get to from Kyoto Station. Taking the JR San-in Line, the ride takes 15 minutes and costs 240 yen (covered under the Japan Rail Pass).
Alternatively, if coming from downtown Kyoto, from Kyoto-Kawaramachi or Karasuma Station, take the Hankyu Line to Katsura Station, then transfer to the Hankyu Arashiyama Line for Arashiyama. The trip will take roughly 20 minutes and cost 230 yen.
Arashiyama can also be accessed by bus or car, but in the interest of being time and cost-efficient..

Japan offers a variety of wines, from inexpensive brands to high-end quality bottles. Up until 1980, mainly grapes indigenous to the country (Koshu) were used, but since then, European grapes have been introduced to the process, which created new tasting wines. As many travelers will attest, a fun way to enjoy sampling a variety of great wines is to stay overnight at or near the winery!
One of the most famous regions for wines in Hokkaido is Furano; however, the production of grapes and wine is not limited to just Furano and has spread all around the prefecture. Unique winery stays are now offered even in Sapporo – the capital of Hokkaido.
Here, we introduce two unique winery stay experiences in the northernmost prefecture of Japan.
(Main image credit: HITOHANA)
Why Hokkaido Wine?
(Credit: HITOHANA)
According to the National Tax Agency, in 2021, Hokkaido ranked first in Japan in acreage for cultivating winemaking grape varieties, and third in Japan for wine production after Yamanashi ..

Unwind and relax in a Niseko onsen hot spring after skiing to your heart's content on the world-famous powder snow at Niseko’s ski resorts!
Niseko Onsen Village is an area so blessed with hot springs that it is designated as a hot spring area belonging to the people. It is easy to forget the time when you are immersed in an outdoor bath looking at the snowy scenery.
Since there are so many remarkable hot springs in the Niseko Hot Spring Village area, which ones should you visit to maximize your enjoyment? Here's a list of 10 Niseko onsen hot springs we think are worthy of attention!
1. Yumoto Niseko Prince Hotel Hirafutei: Hot springs with fantastic views
Yumoto Niseko Prince Hotel Hirafutei is located in the middle of Hirafuzaka, the main street of Niseko Hirafu, and it houses Niseko hot springs that are touted for their fantastic healing properties.
From muscle aches to fatigue, aching joints, nerve pain, and even chronic skin diseases, the hotel uses pure and unadulterat..

Historically, Otaru was a thriving port city that was vital in linking Hokkaido with the rest of Japan. Now, Otaru is known for its historic cityscape with beautiful stone-built warehouses, banks and canal. It is the perfect getaway when visiting the northern island of Hokkaido.
We will introduce everything you need to know about how to get to and the best places to stay in Otaru as well as other areas interest you may not know about!
Main image: PIXTA
1. Getting to and from Otaru
Otaru is filled with cute boutiques, restaurants, and food stalls, like these in Otaru Denuki Koji. Photo: PIXTA
a. Ease of access to/from New Chitose Airport
・Train: From New Chitose Airport to Otaru, it takes 80 minutes by the JR Rapid Airport train (2,750 yen o/w). Note that if you hold the Japan Rail Pass (or JR Hokkaido Rail Pass), you can ride it for free.
・Bus: You can also get the New Chitose Airport Limousine Bus from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo Station, then take the Chuo Bus to Otaru Station (t..

Found in central Tokyo, Shibuya is one of the first places so many travelers want to visit. But after seeing Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the overwhelming number of shops and restaurants might have you wondering where to start. Let's take a look at what awaits you in Shibuya.
Shibuya Overview
Tokyo is often seen as a city made up of many smaller cities, and Shibuya is one of the liveliest. It's a place to go shopping for the latest trends, and to visit tasty restaurants and cute cafes round every corner.
The main draw for travelers is usually Shibuya Scramble Crossing, famous as the busiest crossing in the world, but Tokyoites know that it is so much more than that.
Historically, Shibuya was home to a castle built by the Shibuya clan, but during the warring states period between 1467–1615, the castle was abandoned. Flash forward to the opening of the Yamanote Line and Shibuya Station in 1885, and Shibuya was on its way to becoming the tourist hotspot it is today. It wasn&#039..