03:03Ryokan is a Japanese guest house. Fujioto Ryokan is a ryokan in an old post town in a historic preservation area along the old Nagasendo route, can be translated to “road through the central mountains”. Located in Tsumago, surrounded by Japanese style gardens. The inn’s restaurant serves famous local cuisine that has been enjoyed […]
Hachikō was present at its unveiling of a bronze statue in his likeness, erected at Shibuya Station in Tokyo in April 1934. The Hachikō statue attracts thousands of dog lovers locally and from around the world who come to pay homage to the canine who has become a symbol of loyalty and friendship. Adopted by Professor Eisaburo […]
A very nice hotel near Shinjuku Station, making this a great base for staying and getting around Tokyo. The hotel is modern and well maintained, but like most hotels in Japan and Asia, space is never wasted, a standard double room is typically 15.8 square metres (171 square feet), enough for one person to […]
15:14Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over a millennium and carries a reputation as its most beautiful city. Kyoto was among the few Japanese cities that escaped the allied bombings of World War II and as a result, Kyoto still has an abundance of prewar buildings. Visitors may be surprised by how much […]
02:38The Magome / Tsumago Trail is a well-maintained section of the former Nakasendo, the route that ran along the Kiso Valley and connected Tokyo with Kyoto during the Edo Period. The trail is not difficult and is well marked in English and Japanese. It is about 8 km long and should take two to […]
The two main religions in Japan are Shinto, the native religion based around nature and multiple gods, and Buddhism, imported from India through Korea and China. Shintoism The native religion of Japan is Shinto, and the word ‘Shinto’ means ‘way of the gods’. There are many kami (gods) and they often take the form […]
06:13Nara was an ancient capital of Japan between 710-784 AD. Nara has a collection of temples in a giant landscaped park. The city celebrated its 1300th anniversary in 2010. Less than an hour’s journey by train on the JR Nara line from Kyoto station, located in the central part of Nara City, this vast green […]
07:13Nikkō, literally “sunlight” or “sunshine”, is a city in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. A popular destination for Japanese and international tourists. The Japanese saying “Never say ‘kekko‘ until you’ve seen Nikko“, kekko meaning beautiful, magnificent. Attractions include the mausoleum of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (Nikkō Tōshō-gū) and that of his grandson Iemitsu (Iemitsu-byō […]
Staying in a ryokan, a Japanese inn is one of the best ways to connect with Japan and the rich culture. Each ryokan is unique and is generally family-owned and operated. This means that the service you receive will be different from inn to inn. When you arrive at the ryokan you may be […]
11:21All roads, rails, shipping lanes and planes lead to Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is the most populated urban area in the world, at over 12 million people in the official metropolitan area alone, a population of 35 million people if you include Greater Tokyo. The size of Tokyo can intimidate the first-time visitor. […]
05:53Old post town, Tsumago, in a historic preservation area with important traditional buildings. There was the main road from Tokyo to Kyoto about three hundred years ago, its name Nakasendo can be translated to “road through the central mountains”. At that time, Japan was ruled by the Shogunate. If you were there, you would […]
An alternative option instead of staying at a hotel, First Cabin is a capsule-style private room located in Terminal 1 of Tokyo Haneda Airport, perfect for early morning flights, but also available for hire for a few hours, or day use, if you have a long wait for a connecting flight. I opted for the […]
The main feature of staying at Hotel Century Southern Tower is that all 375 guest rooms are located from the 22nd to 35th floor, and offers fabulous views of the skyline of Tokyo. A double room was a good size, possibly the biggest room I had in all of Japan, with high standards, this […]
Once the capital of Japan, Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan‘s main island of Honshu, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, Osaka is the third-largest city by population after Tokyo and Yokohama. Historically the commercial centre of Japan, Osaka functions as one of the command […]
Just a 5-minute walk on the south side of Kyoto Station in a residential area, Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kyoto-Hachijoguchi, is modern and excellent value, and well located for taking advantage of the easy transport links nearby for exploring Kyoto and beyond. Though not in the centre of the city, it is within access of transport links […]