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Every article on the site β€” hotel guides by station, day trips, and culture deep-dives. Filter by category, or just scroll with a drink in hand.

Takayama: Japan’s Old Town Preserved in the Mountains β€” Jinya, Markets & Sake
Destinations

Takayama: Japan’s Old Town Preserved in the Mountains β€” Jinya, Markets & Sake

Takayama (高山) in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture owes its extraordinary historical preservation to the same geographical accident…

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Sushi for Beginners: How to Order, Eat & Actually Enjoy a Real Sushi Counter
Food & Drink

Sushi for Beginners: How to Order, Eat & Actually Enjoy a Real Sushi Counter

Most people who visit Japan for the first time have eaten sushi before. The sushi they have eaten…

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Surfing in Japan: Where Locals Go β€” Shonan, Chiba, Miyazaki & More
Experiences

Surfing in Japan: Where Locals Go β€” Shonan, Chiba, Miyazaki & More

Japan has been surfing since the 1960s and has developed one of the world's largest and most passionate…

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Summer Fireworks Festivals (花火倧会) in Tokyo: When, Where & How to Watch
Culture & History

Summer Fireworks Festivals (花火倧会) in Tokyo: When, Where & How to Watch

Hanabi taikai (花火倧会 / fireworks festivals) are the defining summer event of the Japanese calendar β€” large-scale, professionally…

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Street Food in Asakusa: Everything You Can Eat Between Kaminarimon & Senso-ji
Food & Drink

Street Food in Asakusa: Everything You Can Eat Between Kaminarimon & Senso-ji

The approach to Senso-ji Temple from Kaminarimon Gate is a 350-meter covered shopping street called Nakamise-dori (δ»²θ¦‹δΈ–ι€šγ‚Š) β€”…

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Stargazing in Japan: The Best Dark Sky Spots Near Tokyo & Beyond
Nature & Outdoors

Stargazing in Japan: The Best Dark Sky Spots Near Tokyo & Beyond

Japan's extraordinary urban light pollution β€” Tokyo's metropolitan glow is visible from satellite imagery extending well beyond the…

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Snorkeling in Japan: Okinawa, Izu & the Best Spots for Non-Divers
Nature & Outdoors

Snorkeling in Japan: Okinawa, Izu & the Best Spots for Non-Divers

While Japan's diving culture (covered in the dedicated Okinawa diving article) requires certification and equipment investment, the country's…

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Shiretoko Peninsula: Japan’s Last True Wilderness β€” UNESCO Site & Brown Bears
Destinations

Shiretoko Peninsula: Japan’s Last True Wilderness β€” UNESCO Site & Brown Bears

At the northeastern tip of Hokkaido, a peninsula juts into the sea between the Sea of Okhotsk and…

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Shirakawa-go & Gokayama: UNESCO Thatched Farmhouses in the Japanese Alps
Destinations

Shirakawa-go & Gokayama: UNESCO Thatched Farmhouses in the Japanese Alps

Deep in the mountain valleys where the Sho River (庄川) cuts through the Japanese Alps between Gifu and…

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