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Every article on the site โ hotel guides by station, day trips, and culture deep-dives. Filter by category, or just scroll with a drink in hand.
Shinkansen Culture: The Social Rules of Japan’s Bullet Train
The Shinkansen (ๆฐๅนน็ท / "new trunk line") โ Japan's high-speed rail network, first opened between Tokyo and Osaka…
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Shabu-Shabu & Sukiyaki: A Foreigner’s Guide to Hot Pot in Japan
Japanese hot pot โ whether shabu-shabu (ใใใถใใใถ) or sukiyaki (ใใ็ผใ) โ is fundamentally a communal eating format: a…
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Sendai: The City of Trees โ Tanabata Festival, Gyutan & Date Masamune’s Castle
Sendai (ไปๅฐ) earned its nickname โ "The City of Trees" (ๆใฎ้ฝ / Mori no Miyako) โ from a…
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Sea of Japan vs Pacific Coast: Why Japan’s Two Coastlines Feel Like Different Countries
Japan's main islands sit between two fundamentally different bodies of water โ the Sea of Japan (ๆฅๆฌๆตท) to…
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Sea Kayaking in Japan: Izu, Seto Inland Sea & Okinawa Routes
Japan's extraordinary coastline โ 29,750 km of mainland coast plus the island chains of Izu, Okinawa, and the…
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Sapporo in Winter: Snow Festival, Susukino Night Market & Hokkaido Food
There are cities that tolerate winter and cities that embrace it. Sapporo (ๆญๅน) โ the capital of Hokkaido,…
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Sapporo Ramen Guide: Why Hokkaido Ramen is in a Category of Its Own
When Japanese people talk about Sapporo ramen, they use a word that doesn't appear in discussions of most…
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Samurai History for Tourists: Edo Castle, Aizu & the Real Edo Period
International interest in samurai culture is enormous โ the archetype of the armored warrior guided by a code…
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Sakura Train Journeys: The Most Scenic Cherry Blossom Train Routes in Japan
Cherry blossom season in Japan produces a specific travel opportunity available nowhere else on earth: the sakura train…
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