Travel
The Showa Era Lifestyle Museum: Travel back in time
The Showa Era Lifestyle Museum opened in 1990 in Kita Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. It features a large collection (over 160,000 items) of Showa era (1926-1989) items, from cars to televisions to full storefront replicas. The focus of the museum is to show what life was like during this period for a… Read
Hawaii lawmakers raise state's hotel tax to help the islands cope with climate change
Hawaii lawmakers have passed the first-of-its-kind legislation that will increase the state’s lodging tax to raise money for environmental protection and strengthening defenses against climate change -fueled natural disasters. Gov. Josh Green supports the bill, indicating he will sign it. The bill adds a 0.75% levy to the state’s existing… Read
Japan’s 160-year-old Great Wisteria of Tochigi is now in full bloom, ready for visitors
Few countries have seasonal swings quite so dramatic as Japan’s, where midwinter can be mercilessly cold and midsummer brutally hot. Getting from one extreme to the other, means, of course, that Japan’s experiences everything in between in the interceding months, and that means that there’s almost always a new set… Read
Shimane’s hidden travel sites, where you can escape the crowds and enjoy traditional Japan
Shimane Prefecture has come up with a catchy slogan to attract visitors: “Good fortune and beautiful skin, from Shimane.” It’s a tagline that promotes some of the best the prefecture has to offer visitors, and we recently got to experience it firsthand on a press tour that exceeded our expectations.… Read
Andy Warhol in Tottori? Inside Japan's bold new prefectural art museum
Renowned for picturesque sand dunes, laid-back hot springs resorts, the hometowns of popular manga artists and one of western Japan’s highest mountains, Tottori (Japan’s least-populated prefecture) is a true hidden gem that offers an escape from major urban centers. On March 30, 2025, the small city of Kurayoshi established one… Read
Experience the breathtaking beauty of Shibazakura Park's carpet of moss phlox flowers this spring
Shibazakura Park, also known as Hana no Juutan (Carpet of Flowers), is a breathtaking seasonal attraction located in Sanda City, Hyogo. First planted in 1984, over 100 million moss phlox flowers blanket the park’s hillsides in vibrant shades of pink, purple and white. This spectacular sight of the flowers completely covering the ground… Read
Kashiigu Shrine: A gift from an empress
Kashiigu shrine in Fukuoka’s Higashi Ward is a picturesque complex of vermillion and white structures surrounded by lush greenery that lend a feeling of serenity and repose. Last year the shrine celebrated 1,300 years since its founding, but its history actually goes back much further, all the way to 200… Read
Don't miss out on 2025 Niseko Summer Green Season
Hilton Niseko Village and GPlusMedia are pleased to announce the 2025 Niseko Green Season website update as part of our ongoing partnership for promotion of the region. Building on the success of last year’s site, video and promotions, the newly refreshed site invites travelers to discover and rediscover Niseko’s stunning… Read
Most convenient hot spring in Japan? Might be this one that’s attached to a train station platform
When the hustle, bustle, and other non-rhyming but still fatiguing aspects of big city life start to be too much for your tastes, one of the best ways to relieve yourself of urban stress in Japan is by heading out to the countryside and then heading into a hot spring bath.… Read
Restoring ‘kominka’ in Chiba: A quiet resistance to Japan’s rural exodus
In Chiba, a quiet revival is taking shape, where creatives are reimagining Japan’s forgotten kominka — traditional folk homes — inviting people to slow down, reconnect with the land and question what it means to live. Perched on a hillside in Chiba, the whimsical heritage home of artist and craftsman… Read
