Travel
Cathay Pacific adds WhatsApp to customer service options
Cathay Pacific customers can now contact the airline via a new WhatsApp service. Customers with a phone number beginning with the Hong Kong prefix +852 can chat with the airline's Customer Care team by messaging them on +852 2747 2747. Assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a… Read
Zao: See the ice monsters and dip in an onsen
About less than an hour away from the capital of Yamagata Prefecture by bus, Zao Onsen is a ski resort and hot spring town with a long history. While the most popular season to come visit is undoubtedly in the winter to take full advantage of the quality of snow,… Read
A trip to Todoroki Valley, Tokyo’s tucked-away green oasis
Tokyo has its share of immaculately manicured gardens and even has some spacious parks, but it’s hard to find a place of untended nature where you can escape the presence of other people. One of the few such places is the Todoroki Valley Park (等々力渓谷公園, Todoroki Keikoku Koen), a small… Read
Yamagata: Discover snow monsters and a hidden mountain temple
Situated in the southwest area of the already remote Tohoku region, Yamagata is bordered by the sea of Japan to one side and mountains on the other. While the prefecture is most popular as a winter destination, Yamagata offers an abundance of hot springs, mountaintop temples, natural parks and a giant game… Read
COVID-19 prompts rethink of mass tourism
The coronavirus pandemic has forced famous tourist destinations to question their business model, though economic realities are likely to stand in the way of major changes. Nature has quickly replaced hordes of visitors at sites like Machu Picchu in Peru, where sightings of elusive Andean bears have caused a buzz… Read
WHO stops short of advising proof of COVID-19 shots for travel
The World Health Organization has refrained from advising proof of COVID-19 vaccination or immunity as a condition for international travel, citing "critical unknowns" regarding their efficacy in reducing transmission and limited availability. The WHO's Emergency Committee, composed of 19 independent experts, held its sixth meeting in a year on Friday… Read
Singapore Airlines extends PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite statuses
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has confirmed that it is automatically extending all existing PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite statuses, for memberships that will expire between March 2021 and February 2022, by another year. For PPS Club members, any Reserve Value that expires between March 2021 and February 2023 will also have… Read
Flying in Japan? Your flight may soon be arriving at 'Hatsune Miku Airport'
Most air travelers to Sapporo, the prefectural capital of Hokkaido, arrive at New Chitose Airport. Even if you don’t speak Japanese, it’s a pretty cool name for an airport, with “New” giving it an adventurous ring, and if you know that “Chitose” means millennium, it takes on a futuristic quality too. But… Read
See some of Japan’s oldest bonsai trees at this exhibition in Shiga Prefecture
Visit Shiga Prefecture’s Keiunkan at any time of year, and you are bound to see one of the best collections of bonsai trees in Japan. However, it is best to visit the venue at the beginning of the year, during the Nagahama Plum Tree Bonsai Exhibition, when all 300 of the trees… Read
Jewerium: Amagical winter lights event at Enoshima Aquarium
Enoshima Aquarium is holding a special winter event titled Jewerium. The name is a combination of jewel and aquarium. The organizers of the event say that they were inspired by the beauty of jewels, and their three most eye-catching elements: transparency, color and brilliance. Walk across the Shonan Festival Plaza,… Read
