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Autumn is one of the best seasons for food in Japan. As the weather gets cooler, supermarkets, restaurants, convenience stores, and cafés begin to fill with seasonal ingredients and flavors. Fish, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, pe...

The Kumano Kodo is one of Japan's most rewarding destinations for travelers who want to experience something beyond the usual tourist attractions. Located in the Kii Peninsula of Wakayama and neighboring areas, these ancient pilgrimage r...

If you're staying in Osaka, Kyoto, or the surrounding Kansai region and want to experience Japanese pottery, you don't have to limit yourself to pottery workshops in the city. Kansai is home to several unique pottery traditions, many of ...

Nara is famous for two things: its friendly deer and the Great Buddha at Todaiji Temple. And yes, if it's your first time in Nara, you should absolutely see both. Greeting the deer in Nara Park and standing in front of the Great Buddha a...

Japan's typhoon season generally runs from summer into early autumn. If a typhoon is approaching during your trip, you may need to change your plans—but it does not necessarily mean your whole trip is ruined. What you should do depends a...

Traveling in Japan with children is often easier than first-time visitors expect, but it helps to understand a few local customs and practical realities before you arrive. From transportation and restaurants to nursing rooms and public e...

Traveling between Osaka and Kyoto is one of the most common journeys in Japan. The two cities are only about 40 kilometers (25 miles) apart, and the trip usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. What many visitors don't realize is that s...

Okinawa is a chain of subtropical islands located in the southernmost part of Japan, stretching between Kyushu and Taiwan. While most visitors stay on Okinawa Main Island, the prefecture is home to dozens of smaller islands that can be r...

When you travel around Japan, you may notice cheerful tanuki statues standing at the entrance of restaurants, shops, gardens, and traditional inns. With their round bellies, straw hats, and friendly smiles, they seem to appear everywhere...

Japan has a rich bento culture. A bento is a Japanese-style packed meal, often carefully arranged with rice and side dishes in a single box. One of the most overlooked parts of this culture is the bento box itself. From cheap plastic con...

Short answer: Yes — English works in Japan. Yes — English actually works in Japan more than most people expect. But it doesn’t always work in the way people imagine. You usually won’t have smooth, fluent conversations everywhere. At the ...

When visiting shrines in Japan, you’ll often notice animals like foxes, deer, or even rabbits. These aren’t just decorations. They are considered messengers of the gods, known as shinshi in Japanese. While foxes are the most famous, Kans...

Just south of Osaka City lies Sakai, a city renowned for producing some of Japan’s finest kitchen knives. For centuries, craftsmen here have been forging blades known for their incredible sharpness and precision. Today, many professional...

Shodoshima is one of the most peaceful island escapes you can take from Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Known for its olive groves, soy sauce breweries, dramatic gorges, and quiet coastal scenery, it offers a slower side of Japan that many visito...

Many travelers are already familiar with tuna, salmon, and a few other popular types of sashimi. But the range of sashimi in Japan goes far beyond that. Let’s check out the different kinds and see what makes Japanese sashimi culture uniq...

Osaka’s Rainy Seasons: What You Should Know Rain can happen any time of year in Osaka—there is no completely dry season. However, the type of rain changes depending on the month. Understanding these patterns will help you prepare better ...

  Visiting Kyoto in winter offers a unique opportunity to experience Japan’s traditional sake culture. Kyoto has a long history of sake production and is actually the second-largest sake-producing region in Japan, thanks to its abun...

A Small Historical Town Near Lake Biwa, Easy to Visit from Kyoto and Osaka   Nagahama is a small historic city located on the northern shore of Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake. The town developed as a castle town during the Sengoku ...

Japan is famous for its hot springs (onsen) and traditional inns (ryokan). Visiting these places is a unique and relaxing experience, but it can be confusing for first-time visitors. Here’s a guide to the most common questions.   1....

Arima Onsen is one of Japan’s oldest and most famous hot spring towns, just about an hour from Osaka or Kyoto. Known for its　Kin no Yu and Gin no Yu  (golden and silver hot springs) and charming streets, it’s a perfect spot for a short ...

I’ll never forget the day I accidentally broke the tea bowl my tea teacher had given me. It was a small, delicate bowl, but it meant so much to me—not just as a piece of pottery, but as a gift from someone I deeply respect. When it slipp...

Every January, the Kansai region—including Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe—comes alive with the festive energy of Toka Ebisu, a vibrant celebration honoring Ebisu, the god of business prosperity and good fortune. This three-day festival, held fro...

If you’re traveling in Japan, you’ll be using a train or bus at some point. That’s where IC cards like Suica, ICOCA, and PASMO come in handy — they’re contactless prepaid cards that make travel and shopping in Japan super easy. This guid...

Trying local fruits is something you must do when you travel in other countries.  Even though you might have a similar kind of fruits in your country, Japanese fruits are worth trying as they're often relatively sweeter and gorgeous. &nb...

When traveling in Japan in September, you will see many pictures and decoration of rabbits, the moon, dango (dumplings), and silver grass.     These are the typical symbols of Japanese Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival. Actu...

If you want to fly out from Kansai area such as Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, etc, Kansai Airport is the only international airport for that. The airport is located in the south end of Osaka prefecture and it's not very close to the center of Osak...

Kansai Airport is the gateway of Kansai area / West Japan.  Start with Osaka, then off to Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Wakayama, Hiroshima and even further...  Once you land in Kansai airport, you will try to find the way to get to the city center...

ICOCA is a handy railway IC card issued by JR West. People could use it only for the JR line before, but these days the card is available for most main railways in Kansai*, such as the city subways, Hankyu, Hanshin, etc. and buses too. I...

  Osaka is a big city where millions of people live and come to work and the downtown area is busy until the midnight. But actually the mountain area is just one hour from the city center and you can go there by public transportation.  M...

If you’re leaving the Kansai region—whether from Osaka, Kyoto, or Kobe—your international flight will most likely depart from Kansai International Airport (KIX). The airport is located on an artificial island in southern Osaka Bay, about...