With around 1.5 million citizens, Kyoto is only ranked as the approximately 8th largest city in Japan. However this historic city, which was the capital of Japan for over a 1000 years, is probably the most visited in the country. With an incredibly rich history, uncountable ancient buildings and more than 1600 temples, Kyoto was spared during the …
With around 1.5 million citizens, Kyoto is only ranked as the approximately 8th largest city in Japan. However this historic city, which was the capital of Japan for over a 1000 years, is probably the most visited in the country. With an incredibly rich history, uncountable ancient buildings and more than 1600 temples, Kyoto was …
Kamakura is a historic city located a 1 hour train ride south of Tokyo. It is a popular side trip from Tokyo due to its relaxed ambiance and beautiful buddhist temples and shinto shrines. Kamakura was the power center of the Kamakura Shogunate from around 1200 to 1300. When walking around the city it’s clear …
The Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture is one of the most remote areas of Japans main island, Honshu. Located on the central western coast of Japan, the Noto peninsula is somewhat isolated on the opposite side of the “Japanese Alps” from the big metropoles like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. The nearest larger city is Kanazawa …
Okunoto is the northern, and most remote half of the rural Noto Peninsula. The Okunoto Coast is the coastline that hugs this area. The area is known for its remoteness and beautiful nature, and is best explored by car. Oku means “inner”, “deep” or “bottom”, and so Okunoto translates to something like “inner Noto” or …
Wajima is a small city (pop: 27’700) located on the Noto Peninsula, in Ishikawa Prefecture. It is the largest city in Okunoto, which is the northern part of the Noto region. The city is defined by it’s main industries: fishing, lacquerware and tourism.
Sakurajima, the active volcano in southern Japan, is perfect for a 1-day excursion if you are in Kyushu. In this post I have made a suggestion for a great Sakurajima itinerary. The post starts out with a general overview of the day, and then it goes a bit more in details with the activities after …
Hiking Sakurajima is a great way to explore the volcanic island. You get a much better sense of the rough nature, and the life the locals live on this ex-island. In this post I share my experience hiking on Sakurajima. My experience hiking on Sakurajima
In this post I list the 2019 Top Travel Guides for Japan. When you travel in Japan it can be very handy to have a printed travel guide with you. Good visitor information isn’t always available in English or other languages when you visit attractions in Japan. You will often find limited explanations or complete …
Japan Rail Pass (Click here to buy JR Pass) is one of the best deals you can get your hands on if you are going to visit Japan. In this post I will explain why JR Pass is so good, how to choose the right one, and how to order it.
