Experiences
Capybara Cafes in Japan: How to Choose One That Treats the Animals Properly
In this article: Introduction The capybara’s reputation in Japan rests on an accident. In 1982 keepers at a zoo on the Izu...
Read More →Japan Travel Journal
In-depth guides, local insights, and practical tips from our team on the ground in Japan.
Experiences
Hedgehog Cafes in Tokyo: How They Work, and the Welfare Question Nobody Raises
In this article: Introduction An African pygmy hedgehog weighs about 400 grams, fits in two cupped hands, and is awake at night....
Read More →
Travel Tips
Japanese Cold Medicine: What to Buy in a Drugstore When You Are Ill Abroad
In this article: Introduction Japanese drugstores are excellent, open late, and everywhere, and the cold medicine aisle is completely impenetrable if you...
Read More →
Food & Culture
The Best Matcha in Kyoto: Where to Drink It and Where to Buy It
In this article: Introduction Matcha in Kyoto ranges from a bowl of tea whisked at your table by someone whose family has...
Read More →
Travel Tips
Onsen Etiquette: Every Rule, in the Order You Will Need Them
In this article: Introduction There is one rule in a Japanese onsen and everything else is a consequence of it: the bath...
Read More →
Planning Your Trip
Japan’s Public Holidays: The Three Weeks to Avoid and How to Travel If You Cannot
In this article: Introduction The Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto on the second day of Golden Week runs full, every train, all...
Read More →
Planning Your Trip
Travelling Japan in the Rainy Season: Why June Is Underrated
In this article: Introduction The hydrangeas at Meigetsu-in in Kamakura are at their best in drizzle, under grey light, with wet stone...
Read More →
Travel Tips
What to Buy at Daiso in Japan: The Things Worth ¥110 and the Things That Are Not
In this article: Introduction The reason a Daiso in Japan is a different proposition from a Daiso in London or Los Angeles...
Read More →
Travel Tips
Punctuality in Japan: The Twenty-Second Apology and What It Means for You
In this article: Introduction In 2017 a Japanese railway operator published an apology after one of its trains left a station twenty...
Read More →