The city of Kurashiki, in Okayama Prefecture, was once a bustling trade town during the Edo period. The traditional buildings, concentrated along the willow-lined Kurashiki River, have been preserved in…
Okayama is best known as the home of Momotaro, a beloved folktale about a boy born from a peach. But the prefecture is also the birthplace of Japanese denim. In…
On the northern edge of Kyushu lies Mojiko—an international trade port that opened in 1889. Today, the area is preserved as a historical district, offering visitors the chance to step…
If you’ve ever looked up Kyoto on social media, chances are you’ve scrolled through a dozen pictures of people posing in a traditional-looking street with a tall pagoda in the…
The Fushimi area in southern Kyoto is one of Japan’s major sake production sites. Located at the junction of the Uji, Katsura, and Kamo Rivers, it’s blessed with high-quality springs…
The next morning, water was teeming from the grey cotton balls above. We pulled our rain jackets on and headed to the bus stop to catch a ride to Shiratani Unsuikyo. Located 800…
I watched the many peaks of Yakushima expand in stop motion as our Jetfoil powered towards the island. The high-speed ferry is the quickest and most expensive way to get there…
This article is available offline on GPSmyCity. Download the app for GPS-assisted directions to all the attractions featured. “Please visit Miyazaki again,” a sign reads at the entrance to the…
This article is available offline on GPSmyCity. Download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to all the attractions featured. In Japan, you’d be hard-pressed to find a city or town…
This article is available offline on GPSmyCity . Download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to all the attractions featured. As we stepped out of the train station and into…
This article is available on GPSmyCity. Download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the all the attractions featured. There is no Japanese word for ‘hipster’, which, ironically, is about as…