Guides’ travelogue– category –

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...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

Autumn is one of the best seasons to travel in Japan as the weather is mild and the autumn leaves are coloring all through the country.    Besides autumn leaves pampas grass field are attracting to people in this season, and in Toky...

If you have been to Japan or  even a Japanese restaurant in your country, you have probably tried edamame beans. Usually it's just boiled with salt and it's perfect snack for beer.  Edamame itself is cultivated almost anywhere in Japan, ...

Japanese people have lived with the bliss of sea, and fish and seafood are essence of our lives.  There are a lot of fisherman villages in Japan and Ine is one of the good examples to see how their lives are connected with sea.  You can ...

Do you love beautiful nature but wish to avoid the long, hard walk and climb?   Many of the mountains listed on ‘top 100 mountains in Japan’ are located right in centre of the main island of Japan, Honshu, Among the 100, the one I w...

I, a guide of travel lovers, am also very fond of travelling. I will share some stories from my travel journal with the blog readers. The very first episode is one in Himi, Toyama.  One day in last March, I got off the train at the railw...