Hakuba Valley in Summer: Japan’s Alpine Hiking & Mountain Flower Season
Most international visitors know Hakuba (白馬) as one of Japan's finest ski resorts — the venue for the…
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Hydrangea Season in Tokyo: Meigetsuin, Hakusan Shrine & the Hidden Spots
Ajisai (紫陽花 / hydrangea) blooms during Japan's least internationally celebrated season — the rainy season (梅雨 / tsuyu),…
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Iriomote Island: Jungle Trekking, Mangrove Kayaking & the Iriomote Wildcat
Iriomote Island (西表島) — 40 minutes by ferry from Ishigaki, Japan's second-largest island in the Ryukyu chain after…
Read more →Ishigaki & the Yaeyama Islands: Japan’s Tropical Paradise — Crystal Water & Mangroves
At the southwestern extreme of Japan's territory — 410 km from Okinawa main island, closer to Taiwan than…
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Cherry Blossom Season in Japan: A Week-by-Week Guide to Peak Bloom by Region
Sakura zensen (桜前線 / "cherry blossom front") is the term the Japan Meteorological Corporation uses to describe the…
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Cherry Blossoms in Tohoku: Japan’s Last Sakura Season (April–May)
Tokyo's cherry blossom season concludes by mid-April. Kyoto's by mid-April as well. For the vast majority of international…
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Diving in Okinawa: The Best Coral Reefs, Blue Caves & Hammerhead Sharks
The waters surrounding the Okinawa island chain — where the warm Kuroshio Current (黒潮 / Japan Current) flows…
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Amami Oshima: The Subtropical Island Between Okinawa & Kyushu
Amami Oshima (奄美大島) occupies an unusual geographic and cultural position: it sits approximately halfway between Kyushu and Okinawa,…
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Aso-Kuju National Park: Volcanic Plateaus & Wild Horses in Kyushu
Aso-Kuju National Park (阿蘇くじゅう国立公園) encompasses the Mount Aso caldera (covered extensively in the dedicated Mt. Aso article) and…
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Attack on Titan Real Locations: Hita City (Oita) & Beyond
"Attack on Titan" (進撃の巨人 / Shingeki no Kyojin) — Hajime Isayama's manga (2009–2021) and its anime adaptation —…
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