Hakata is an old Japanese city located in Fukuoka Prefecture. It is best known for its ramen (Hakata ramen) and festivals (Hakata Gion Yamakasa, Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri, and Hakata O-kunchi). How to get there I flew in to Japan via the Kansai Airport, so I took the Limited Express Haruka train from the airport [...]

Comprising more than 6,800 islands, Japan has a long list of interesting and unique attractions to offer. In addition to the already world-renowned ancient temples and shrines in Kyoto, the dynamic metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka, and the grandeur of Mount Fuji, it still has several smaller, lesser known islands that tourists should try to [...]

Best known for being an onsen town, Hakone is situated in the mountainous portion of Kanagawa Prefecture. Access If you are coming from Tokyo, the fastest option is to take the Kodama train on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line to Odawara, then transfer to the Odakyu Railway train on the Hakone-Tozan Line and get off at [...]

Located in the Kanto region’s Tochigi Prefecture, Nikko is a Japanese city that is popular among local and foreign tourists because of its elaborately designed shrines and lush natural scenery. How to get there From Tokyo Station, I boarded a Shinkansen to Utsunomiya Station. The ride took about an hour and was covered by my [...]

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are villages located in the central Japanese region of Chubu. Both are known for their traditional architectural structures, particularly the unique farmhouses that feature the gassho (or “hands together”) style of roofing structures that resemble the shape hands form when praying. How to get there From Tokyo: [...]

Sendai is Tohoku region’s largest metropolis, founded by feudal lord Date Masamune in 1600. Today, many of the city’s popular attractions and important landmarks are associated with the Masamune clan. How to get there I got on a JR Tohoku Line Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Sendai. The journey took about two hours and was [...]