In-depth guides, local insights, and practical tips from our team on the ground in Japan.
In this article: Introduction Approaching Beppu by train, the first thing you see is steam. It rises from drains, from behind houses,...
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In this article: Introduction Takayama was too remote to be worth destroying. Ringed by the Japanese Alps, it was administered directly by...
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In this article: Introduction Three of the warlords who unified Japan — Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu — came from this...
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In this article: Introduction Japanese religious architecture is usually restrained — unpainted wood, clean lines, deliberate emptiness. Nikko is the exception, and...
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In this article: Introduction Most travelers arrive in Japan knowing one word: arigatou. It gets used everywhere — to the hotel clerk,...
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In this article: Introduction High in the mountains south of Osaka lies Koyasan, a place unlike anywhere else in Japan — a...
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In this article: Introduction Where a Western bouquet fills space with abundance, ikebana empties it. The Japanese art of flower arrangement is...
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In this article: Introduction The cat cafe is a gentle Tokyo institution: a quiet lounge where, for the price of a drink...
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In this article: Introduction Of all the souvenirs you can bring back from Japan, the ability to actually cook its food is...
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