Travel
High and dry: Alpine resorts grapple with climate change
The prospect of searing heatwaves driving holidaymakers to cool mountains and children asking grandparents about their memories of snow is focusing minds in Alpine ski resorts on the implications of climate change. With global warming widely expected to slash snowfall, especially at lower levels, the Swiss tourism industry is looking… Read
Looking for a hotel in Japan? Skip the ryokan and stay in this castle instead
If you’re planning a trip in Japan and looking for a place to stay, the first question you need to answer is if you’re going to stay in a modern, Western-style hotel or a traditional Japanese-style ryokan inn. Or, if you’re on a tight budget, you could opt to stay in a… Read
Let’s visit Machu Picchu located in the mountains of USA, Japan
Fresh from his expedition to the mysterious “Space Station” of Yamaguchi Prefecture, our traveling reporter Masanuki Sunakoma learned of another unexplained region in the hinterlands of Japan: The Machu Picchu of USA. That might seem a little… no, completely wrong at first, but there is a partial explanation for it. USA is a town in… Read
Stay in a flight simulator room at a Tokyo Haneda Airport hotel
If you like novelty hotel rooms, Japan is a great place to stay. There’s themed accommodation like the Hello Kitty or shiba inu rooms, or even a hotel staffed exclusively by robots. In the pursuit of ultimate luxury, you may even find some cool facilities in your room like a karaoke machine, or… Read
Air New Zealand to remove more single-use plastic from flights
Air New Zealand has committed to increasing the number of single-use plastic items that it will remove from its operation this year by more than double, from 24 million to nearly 55 million items. This month the airline removed individual plastic water bottles from its Business Premier and Premium Economy… Read
Sip some tea with Totoro in this Saitama town overflowing with nature
Tokorozawa is drenched in the magical forest atmosphere you’d expect from a fantasy anime. The western Saitama Prefecture city was the inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s widely-loved film "My Neighbor Totoro," after all. This whimsical woodland is full of hiking trails, serene lakes, and green tea farms only 30 minutes north of Tokyo. You can… Read
Ryokan Tokyo Yugawara offers a unique writer’s retreat with a luxurious onsen
Ryokan-style inns and onsen are typically viewed as places for escape, natural beauty, and relaxation (as shown by this list of 10 awesome ryokan in Japan), but what if they were also places to get some work done? If you’re a writer looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the… Read
Marriott to open Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Fukuoka
Marriott has signed an agreement with one of Japan’s most acclaimed property developers, Sekisui House, to open a new Ritz-Carlton hotel in Fukuoka. The hotel will be developed and owned by Daimyo Project TMK, a consortium of five companies including Sekisui House, the project manager for the hotel. The Ritz-Carlton,… Read
Mt Jinba: An under-the-radar hike near Mt Takao
For Tokyo locals, Mt Takao, or Takao-san, is a place to spend time in nature, explore old temples, buy a souvenir, and grab a drink or a bowl of soba before getting on the train back to Tokyo. Because of Takao-san’s accessibility from the city, the hike to its summit is filled with tourists and locals… Read
5 guided tours where you can experience Tokyo like a local
t’s a pretty well-established fact that visiting Japan’s capital is a sensory overload. From the neon-lit streets of Akihabara to the gritty bars of Koenji to the stylish back streets of Shibuya, you’ll never run out of things to do in Tokyo. However, while the tourist hangouts can be fun,… Read
