Cycling the scenic Seto Inland Sea
If you're looking for a holiday in Japan which involves stunning scenery, great food and some moderate exercise then the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido Cycling route is for you. The cycling route runs for about 70 kilometres across 6 islands and bridges of the Seto Inland Sea, linking Imabari City in Ehi…(605 words)
Phil
cycling Hiroshima Ehime Tokyo Japan Visit Train City
Tokyo walks: Asakusa to Kuramae
Walking is a great way to explore Tokyo. Go for a walk and keep your eyes open. Start your walk in Asakusa at the famous red Kaminarimon Gate that marks the entrance to Senso-ji Temple. If you have questions about getting around or need a map, ask at the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Cent…(705 words)
David
Asakusa Walk Kuramae Tokyo Taito local secret
Kure port town and surrounding islands on the inland sea.
Kure port town and surrounding islands on the inland sea. The historic and beautiful port town of Kure is located between the more famous tourist destinations of Hiroshima and Onomich. A mere 60 minutes on the local train on the Sanyo main line directly from Hiroshima Station. For those …(545 words)
Robert
Sea kure naval port Japan Train Trip History Beer Japanese
Gourmet Cycling in Kushiro
In October, I participated in a gourmet bicycle tour in Kushiro, which featured prominently the Ainu culture that permeates life throughout the area, particularly in its cuisine. The 3-day tour covers about 150 kilometers, roughly evenly divided in the three days of the tour. The ride itself was ca…(868 words)
DeepJapan Editor
cycling Visit Food Park Nature Cuisine Dinner Lunch
Food in Taito
If you are one of many food lovers around the world, you must know that Japanese food is amazing. In Japan, food is sacred. When preparing a dish, only the freshest, highest quality ingredients are used. These ingredients along with the painstaking and meticulous mode of preparation set Japanese cu…(637 words)
Taito-kun
Food Taito Tokyo Japan Restaurant History Japanese Beer
Southern Japan travel: Okinawa & Kyushu
One-day itinerary for Okinawa’s main island Honto“Most people head to Okinawa to enjoy the beautiful beaches and rugged coastlines, which are considered among the world's most beautiful with large coral reefs and an abundance of marine wildlife. For travelers who are in Okinawa for the first ti…(511 words)
DeepJapan
Kyushu Okinawa Matome Oita Kumamoto Nagasaki Kagoshima Nature History Sea
Ikoma Plateau Where One Million Cosmos Bloom
Kobayashi City in Miyazaki Prefecture is home to Ikoma Platea, where you can enjoy beautiful flowers that seem to cover fields that seem never-ending. The park is open from Spring to Fall each year. I visited this area during October where I could enjoy the celebration of one million cosmos flowers…(270 words)
JudithMikami
Miyazaki Flower City Food Park Spring Music Transportation buy
Take a trip to the beautiful port city of Yokohama in Japan!
If you have a full day to spend and you’re in Tokyo, I recommend taking a trip to the port city of Yokohama, especially if it's a beautiful day. On a sunny day, the Minatomirai area with its series of shopping malls, amusement park and hotels situated around a bay is a must see! Yokohama is only ab…(303 words)
GenS
City Yokohama Tokyo Train Park Shopping Building Museum Movie Amusement park
The Best Natural Japanese Hot Springs in Japan
This is the only location I have ever seen in Japan that has a natural hot spring pool in the indoor pool area. This means you can go in with your family in your bathing suit and enjoy the deep mineral bath. The water feels very smooth and thick in a way as it comes up from 1500 meters below this h…(93 words)
Onsen
Enoshima Island
Japan
Tokyo
Yokohama
Spring
The Best Spa in Japan
Enoshima Island Spa is located just outside Tokyo (direct ride on the Romance Car from Shinjuku Station..60 to 70 minutes). This ancient healing spot is just off the Shonan Coast and you take a 10 minute walk over the bridge to the island itself. The spa entrance fee of 2,650 yen gives you access t…(136 words)
Tokyo
Enoshima Island
Japan
Shinjuku
Swimming
Spring
Winter
Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle in Kansai (an hour or so from Osaka) is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the most visited castle in Japan FOR A REASON- in my opinion the most impressive man-made site to see in the country. Learn about Japanese history, architecture and aesthetic culture in one place, and think of h…(82 words)
Scandi-La
Osaka History Kansai World Heritage Site Castle Himeji Castle
Asakusa viewpoint & information
The Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center is located in front of Kaminari-mon at the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa. Take the elevator to the top for some of the best views in Asakusa. On the 8th floor the Center has a small cafe and a terrace. You can have a coffee, a beer, or some Japanese sw…(159 words)
David
Asakusa Senso-ji Temple view Tokyo Skytree Nakamise-dori rickshaw Sumida river Taito
Asakusa's Secret Kabuki Gallery - Shotengai Streets
Asakusa has many small shopping streets with old-fashioned cafes and restaurants. Okuyama Omairimachi Shotengai is one of these streets, but it is special. The shutters of the shops here are painted with famous scenes from Kabuki plays. This gallery only reveals itself when shops are closed.Asa…(168 words)
David
Asakusa Kabuki Japanese style shopping arcade Art Visit Senso-ji Temple painting Shop
Yet another place to visit in Kyoto:
Tadao Ando is one of the most famous modern architect in Japan. I am no architecture expert so I will not talk about his works.He has created a garden in Kyoto. What is most extraordinary about this garden, is that there is no vegetation. absolutely not. But there are reproductions of the most …(162 words)
Claire
Kyoto Visit
Onsen and Mount Fuji - Enoshima Island
Enoshima island is one of my favourite places for a day trip from Tokyo. I love the ocean air, the view of Kamakura and Mt Fuji, and the shrines and small shops around the island. This Sunday I took a day off from the busy city to visit the onsen at Enoshima Island Spa. It turned out to be even bet…(193 words)
David
Onsen Enoshima Island Day trip from Tokyo Mount Fuji Kanagawa Kamakura Bath
Not Quiet Temples and Shrines
Some Japanese temples are beautifully quiet places with peaceful gardens. Before I came to Japan I mistakenly imagined all temples and shrines would be like that. I was thinking of ponds with koi carp and turtles, perfectly maintained leaf-free stone gardens, and areas sculpted with moss and plants…(255 words)
David
Tera (Temple) Jinjya (Shrine) Japanese style shopping arcade Enoshima Island Kanagawa Trip Asakusa Senso-ji Temple Nakamise-dori
View the Most Beautiful Cherry Blossoms in Japan
A somewhat drab introduction in the metro underground of Kudanshita will quell your palate for something exciting outside. You have probably heard about the beauty of Cherry Blossom season in Japan, but NOTHING will prepare you for the jubilance and grace of huge Cherry trees stretching branch tips…(289 words)
Cherry blossom
Chidorigafuchi
Spring
Jinjya (Shrine)
Japan Travel
Cherry Blossom Day Tour
Tokyo Hanami Kudanshita
Tokyo
Huis Ten Bosch - The Netherlands in Japan
Huis Ten Bosch - Believe it or not, you can experience Holland in Japan. This is a theme park located in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture in Kyushu. An entire town has been built to scale and hotels are there too. There are activities for the whole family, from a maze for young and old to exper…(97 words)
Kevin
City Park Amusement park Kyushu Nagasaki Huis Ten Bosch
April 8 Flower Festival Celebrating Buddha's Birthday
April 8 is not a national holiday in Japan, but there are festivals at temples everywhere in the country. This day is the celebration of Buddha's birthday, often called Flower Festival （花まつり） or Kanbutsu-e （潅仏会）. In Japan the date for Buddha's Birthday is April 8, but some temples start …(243 words)
David
Japanese festivals Asakusa Senso-ji Temple April Buddha Tera (Temple) Flower
Huis ten Bosch
Ever have a hankering to visit the Netherlands? Well, if you live in Asia, you don't have to fly all the way to Europe. You can come to Sasebo and visit Huis ten Bosch theme park. It is a complete resort with hotels and numerous attractions.Your entire family will enjoy a visit to Huis ten B…(145 words)
Kevin
Huis Ten Bosch Park Visit Museum English Flower Amusement park Live architecture Sasebo
Enospa in Enoshima
Whether you're a spa enthusiast or first timer, I highly recommend you visit Enoshima's Enospa for an affordable, exclusive experience you won't soon forget. For less than ¥3000, you can spend an entire day relaxing in one or all of their various indoor and outdoor pools (with beach/ocean view)…(170 words)
Former Deep Japan Writer
Enoshima Island spa Visit Outdoor recreation Sauna Shonan view Sea
Hamamatsu Kite Festival
May 3rd to the 5th the Kite battle begins at Nakatajima park Hamamatsu.These kites are not something you would find at Toys-r-us.It takes 10 to 15 people to lift one of these kites into the air!Each kite represents a cho or an area where you live.Any group member that had a new born child…(124 words)
Yuuki I
Park Event May Tourism omatsuri
In Basho's Footsteps
In May 1689 the great Haiku poet Matsuo Basho sold his house and began travelling north through Japan. His written impressions of the journey, over 1200 miles later, became The Narrow Road to the Deep North, a compilation of travel sketches in prose and verse which is a famous reminder of Basho’s o…(379 words)
InBasho'sFootsteps
Basho Tokyo Art Jinjya (Shrine) Nature Camping view Walk Haiku Outdoor recreation
Nezu Museum
The Nezu Museum (which is near Aoyama, not Nezu) art collection is mainly Asian artifacts, displayed in a few small galleries. While certainly pretty, they are no match for the extraordinary gardens. The Japanese gardens are filled with momiji, bright green in the spring and summer, and shoc…(125 words)
Chiara
Museum Tokyo Art Japanese garden
Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is just south of Yokohama. This is a great place to spend the day for the whole family. Multiple aquariums with hundreds of varieties of sea life. Total number of sea life is well over 100,000. From sea turtles to penguins and numerous other attractions you may be surpri…(89 words)
Kevin
Yokohama Sea English May Hakkeijima Sea Paradise
Neon lights of Shinjuku
If you're in the search for neon lights, head to Shinjuku. Here you'll find more blinking lights, giant advertisement signs, and busy crowds than almost anywhere else in Tokyo. Head out Shinjuku Station's East Exit and walk towards Kabukichō, Tokyo's red-light-district. This is also the area where …(117 words)
Emelie Fågelstedt
Shinjuku Kabukicho Golden Gai Piss Alley Robot Restaurant Love Hotels Capsule hotel
Lavender fields of Farm Tomita/Hokkaido
In Hokkaido, Furano's lavender fields attract large numbers of visitors to the region every summer when the plants are in full bloom. Lavenders usually start blooming in late June and reaches its peak from around mid July to early August. I had always wanted to visit Furano since I watched the …(328 words)
EmiOnishi
Hokkaido Lavender Summer Visit Region Walk Garden Curry Kids
Odawara Castle - Worth a Visit!
When you are in Odawara area, the Odawara Castle is worth a visit. It is actually located in a fairly short walk from Odawara Station. You can see it from the station as this castle is built upon a small hill. What I liked most is a beautiful red bridge leading across the moat into the castle g…(269 words)
EmiOnishi
Visit Castle Odawara Train Park Kimono Samurai Amusement park Walk Kids
Kappabashi Tool Street, best place to find kitchen tools
Kappabashi Tool Street is about 800m long located in 10 minutes walking distance from Asakusa and has more than 150 stores relating to kitchen or restaurant. These are sample foods made of wax, which you can find in a show-window at the restaurants in Asakusa.There are many specialty stores for kit…(79 words)
Keiko, OTT
Restaurant Asakusa Specialty store Kappabashi Sushi
Urban Oasis
The main intersection of Harajuku, where Meiji Street and Omotesando cross, is surprisingly nondescript. On one corner is a bank, with Jonathan's, a popular family restaurant above it. On another corner is another bank, with a small clothing boutique and a cafe adjacent to it. The third corner i…(415 words)
mikekato
Tokyo Shibuya Harajuku architecture rooftop escalators mirrors
Tourist Tip #3: Stay Away from Souvenir Shops
Here's a quick tip to make your memories of Japan more memorable for you and your friends back home: stay away from souvenir shops!Like anywhere else in the world, souvenir shops, by nature, tend to offer only the most generic - and usually hokiest - of gifts. I've seen wares that - at best - w…(219 words)
Former Deep Japan Writer
Souvenir Tourist Tip Yokohama Shopping Visit Nature Shop Don Quijote Tokyu Hands Loft
What to do on rainy days in Tokyo: Palm Shoutengai (covered shopping street)
Rainy season can be a drag, but fear not! Covered shopping streets are the perfect place to people watch, find cool souvenirs and enjoy tasty culinary experiences.The covered shoutengai in Musashi Koyama (just two stops away from Meguro) is almost 1 kilometre long, and like all shoutengai is ju…(357 words)
Chiara
Tokyo Shopping Rainy Day Restaurant Food
What makes you feel cooler in Asakusa.
The price of mini Ukiyoe Uchiwa is 350 yen at Yatsume. Ohgi is made by paper, while Sensu is usually made by fabrics. These Ohgi are at Bunsendo. You will find lots of Sensu at Takahisa.LocationYatsume: NakamiseBunsendo: NakamiseTakahisa: Shin-NakamiseFurin (a wind bell) also make you fee…(111 words)
Keiko, OTT
Asakusa Green tea Tofu (Soy bean curd) Ukiyoe Hand fan
Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree
On my first visit to Tokyo, I signed up for a half day tour of Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa via Hato Bus tours. Hato, http://www.hatobus.com, has a number of different tour packages ranging from half day to full day. The full day tours include lunch. Our tour guide was a Japanese woman who spoke En…(169 words)
Dolores
Tokyo Asakusa Tokyo Skytree Visit Building Tera (Temple) Ginza Bus English Akihabara
Lively NISHIKI market in KYOTO!
A market is the best place to visit if you want to know about the lifestyle in the area. When you are visiting Kyoto, it's a good idea to go to the lively Nishiki Market.Now there are about 130 grocery and seafood shops lined up on both sides of the narrow street. They are selling Kyoto's speci…(250 words)
EmiOnishi
Kyoto Market Visit Food Sashimi (Raw fish) Shop Tofu (Soy bean curd) Fish Snacks Seafood
Kimono Experience in Asakusa
Kimono is usually made of silk or hemp, beautifully dyed or embroidered. Yukata is made of cotton, the Kimono for summer. Most of Ryokan (Japanese hotels) prepare Yukata in each room as a sleepwear, but you can got out with Yukata in Summer.There are many shops you can rent Kimono for few hours. T…(162 words)
Keiko, OTT
Asakusa Kimono Yukata (Light kimono) Kimono experience Summer Walk Shop rental Cherry blossom
Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto
Nothing is as symbolic of Kyoto as Kinkaku-ji's golden reflection shimmering on the surface of the pond before it. A lot of people should be familiar with such a picture appeared on postcards and guidebook. I would like to share my personal experience with Kinkakuji. When I first visited Ki…(450 words)
EmiOnishi
Kyoto Visit Tera (Temple) Building Statue Travel Etiquette
Legoland Discovery Center in Odaiba, Tokyo
Legoland is a theme park dedicated to families with children between the age of 2 and 12 that features interactive rides, play space and attractions based on the LEGO toy brand. The park is split into various areas such as a Lego miniland, play fields and model village. The model village is bre…(252 words)
EmiOnishi
Odaiba Children Kids Tokyo Park Play view Amusement park Toy
Museums Off the Beaten Track
Japan is rife with museums of all shapes and sizes. There's the National Museum in Ueno, MoMAT in Tokyo, and Yokohama's Museum of Art. There's also the Silk and Doll Museum in Yokohama, and Shibuya's Bunkamura. Japan's food manias are even immortalized, like at Shin-Yokohama's Ramen Museum.But …(445 words)
Former Deep Japan Writer
Museum Visit City Tokyo Yokohama Shibuya Art Food History
Fall in Japan: Top 5 Things to Do
I love fall, it is by far my favorite season! In Japan the profusion of Japanese maples and ginkgos also ensure that it is one of the most dramatic, beautiful seasons to visit.So, here are a few ideas to thoroughly enjoy autumn in Japan:1- Spend Time in NatureSeriously, the foliage is stu…(412 words)
Chiara
Fall Autumn leaves Tours Tokyo Seasonal Kyoto Park Visit Trip