• A Quick Guide to Arita Porcelain Town

    In the forested mountains of western Saga is a small town called Arita, which is known for its porcelain. Every Golden Week, it hosts one of Japan’s largest ceramics fairs,…

  • A Walking Tour of Saga City

    Even though I lived in Kyushu for four years, I only ever spent time in Saga once. It was for the International Balloon Fiesta, which I decided to attend with…

  • Sculpture and Sakura at Tokiwa Park

    For the past three years, I’ve called the small coastal city of Ube home. Once a thriving coal-mining town, it’s now the third-largest city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, mostly known for…

  • Touring the Iya Valley

    The Iya Valley region of Tokushima, located on the island of Shikoku, is one of the remotest areas of Japan. So remote, in fact, that it was once a refuge…

  • Inside Japan’s Scarecrow Village

    Deep in the mountains of Shikoku, where no trains and few buses go, lies a tiny village populated almost entirely by scarecrows. Outnumbering the residents by 10 to 1, the…

  • The Yokai Benches of Fukusaki

    Just 25 minutes north of Himeji City by train lies the town of Fukusaki. Surrounded by mountains with the Ichikawa flowing through it, it’s just far enough off the beaten…

  • Katsuoji: The Temple of Winning Luck

    In the mountains of Minoh, Osaka, is a centuries-old Buddhist temple decorated with thousands of red daruma dolls. Known as “the temple of winning luck,” visitors from around the world…

  • A Walking Tour of Kagawa’s Port City

    This article is featured on GPSmyCity. To download it for offline reading, or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours…

  • A Quick Guide to Okayama’s Art Island

    This article is featured on GPSmyCity. To download it for offline reading, or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted, go to Walking Tours and Articles in…

  • Kyoto’s Iconic Bamboo Forest

    Is Arashiyama worth it? It’s a question I, and many other travellers, too, I’m sure, have pondered. Kyoto’s iconic bamboo forest gets mixed reviews. You’ve probably already seen pictures of…

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