Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
Even over a decade ago, back at the start of Japan’s tourism boom, Nikko was never somewhere one could describe as off the beaten path. While nowhere near as bad as Kyoto or Senso-ji in terms of crowding, this cluster…
It’s no secret that I am in love with Shikoku Island, and one of the many reasons I keep coming back is that it is home to a third of Japan’s 12 remaining original keeps. While reconstructions like Osaka Castle…
If you’re even a little bit interested in Japanese mythology, you’ve definitely heard of the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami (henceforth just Amaterasu for brevity). The progenitor of the Imperial line, perhaps no deity in the Japanese pantheon is more important…
Nowadays, Nagano Prefecture really needs no introduction. Whether it’s because of the epic Japow found on the slopes of ski resorts like Hakuba or those ever-popular snow monkeys at Snow Monkey Park, Nagano is now a place firmly on the…
Of the 47 prefectures in Japan, somehow Tokushima always manages to rank towards the bottom when it comes to perceived attractiveness. While it doesn’t necessarily come in last place, Tokushima Prefecture usually sits somewhere in the high 40s. This honestly…
“Donated by Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune in the 1100s.” I paused and reread the placard. Here in front of me, in this aging concrete block of a building that also reeked of mildew, was a weapon offered in hopes of securing military success…
As you might imagine, I get asked all the time online where one ought to go in Japan. And as anyone who has done even a little bit of traveling can attest, the question is entirely unactionable. Japan is vast.…
If you’ve spent any time on Japanese social media, you’ve likely seen Kagawa Prefecture’s picturesque shrine. Located in the city of Kan-onji, this Shinto sanctum is well known for its so-called “torii in the sky” that can be seen pictured…
One thousand twenty-two… One thousand twenty-three… How long have I been climbing? I thought to myself as I hauled my aching leg up to the next stone step. It was an early May morning, already warm enough to promise a…
If you speak with any Japanese person for long enough about what makes the country great, praise for Japan’s four seasons inevitably comes up at some point in the conversation. Whether it is wrapped in the framing of food or…
“This article is largely written for me as a public manifesto of what I intend to do with my personal brand, A Different Side of Japan, going forward. However, if you want to learn about my thoughts on travel writing in…
Inevitably, I always get asked by people planning trips when the best time to visit Japan is. As someone who loves this country with all of my heart, I can confidently say that there really is no best time to…
Back in my university years, I had a part-time gig to help pay the bills that required me to go to a local community center at the crack of dawn to secure a reservation for fitness classes. Basically, all I…
As late March turns into early April, the main cherry blossom season in Tokyo comes to a close as the final few petals fall from the trees and flutter to the ground. Alas, while this time of the year marks…
The other day, as I was walking to Osaki Station en route to a client meeting as my fractional CMO alter ego, I happened to pass by the cherry blossoms that line the Meguro River. Oddly, they had not yet…