Travel
Explore Rokko Island Tulip Festival, featuring 30,000 tulips
The Rokko Island Tulip Festival is the perfect spot to enjoy spring in full bloom. Celebrating its 24th year, the event features around 30,000 tulips in 30 different varieties, turning Kobe’s Rokko Island into a floral wonderland. Only 40 minutes from Osaka station, it’s an accessible and scenic destination for… Read
Escape the hustle of Osaka and discover Harvest Hill, where you can enjoy seasonal flowers, thrilling activities
Nestled in the Senboku Hills of Sakai City, just under an hour from central Osaka, Harvest Hill is a sprawling, family-friendly destination brimming with seasonal fun, adventure and culinary delights. This park is home to restaurants, thrilling activities and the famous Sylvanian Families Park. Harvest Hill Kansai’s longest grass slide Image: PIXTA/… Read
Experience the enchanting beauty of cherry blossoms and historic hot springs at Arima Onsen’s spring festival
If you’re looking to enjoy the beauty of cherry blossoms paired with the relaxing atmosphere of a historic hot spring town, the Arima Onsen Cherry Blossom Festival is the perfect destination. Just 30 minutes from central Kobe, Arima Onsen is renowned for its mineral-rich “gold” and “silver” hot springs, which are… Read
The Golden Route: The best itinerary for first-time travelers to Japan
The Golden Route is the quintessential travel itinerary for first-time visitors to Japan. It traditionally includes Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and (sometimes) Hiroshima, offering a well-rounded introduction to Japan’s modern and historical sites. This route is ideal for first-time visitors as it provides a mix of modern cityscapes, historical sites, natural beauty and cultural experiences. The… Read
Changes to Japan rail pass make it fall out of favor with travelers
Japan Railways Group has a number of special rail passes to make train travel cheaper, easier, and by extension, more fun, but one of the most popular, the Seishun 18 Ticket, underwent a number of changes to its terms and conditions recently that made it fall out of favor with travelers.… Read
JR East releases Welcome Suica Mobile app for overseas visitors to Japan
JR East has released the Welcome Suica Mobile app for overseas visitors to Japan. The app allows users to issue and top up their Suica in the app without going to a ticket office or vending machine at the station both before and after entering Japan; is accepted on trains,… Read
Kumamoto’s Tatsuda Nature Park: A lost world filled with spirits
Kumamoto’s Tatsuda Nature Park is a little-known treasure; an off-the-beaten-track destination. It is a pleasant green space with well-groomed paths, yet the lack of crowds and its various remnants of the past leave visitors with a sense that they have entered a lost world. And, in a way, they have.… Read
Go beyond the Tochigi tourist trail with pottery painting, canyoning and camping in a bamboo forest
Every fall, visitors flock to Tochigi Prefecture to experience the stunning koyo (autumn foliage) in Nikko. Located less than two hours from Asakusa on the Spacia X, many people opt for a day trip to Nikko to visit main attractions like the Shinkyo Bridge and Toshogu Shrine. However, the prefecture offers so… Read
Enjoy spring and autumn flowers along a Nagasaki mountainside at Shirakimine Plateau
Nestled in the heart of Isahaya, central Nagasaki Prefecture, Shirakimine Plateau offers a beautiful setting to experience seasonal flowers throughout the year. Whether you’re there to enjoy blooming fields or embark on a hike, this expansive area is the perfect place to immerse yourself in nature. While the peak of Mount… Read
‘Demon Slayer’ in Japan: 3 real-life places that inspired the anime
The global hit anime “Demon Slayer” (known in Japan as “Kimetsu no Yaiba”) is approaching its conclusion. The final story arc will be released as a movie trilogy, with the first installment premiering in Japan in July 2025. Now is the best time for fans to reminisce about “Demon Slayer”… Read
