Ride Nagano: Take Slow Travel to Another Altitude
Raita Suzuki has ridden bicycles all over the world. As a professional mountain biker, he represented Japan at the Olympics before going on to manage the national team. Yet the further his career took him from home, the more he began to appreciate the place where he had started. “As a professional cyclist, I’ve raced…
Where Art Meets the Seto Inland Sea: Inside SIMOSE Art Garden Villa
For guests drawn to Japan’s celebrated art islands, Naoshima has long held a special place on the itinerary. Its museums, architecture and immersive relationship with the surrounding landscape have helped redefine how art can be experienced within a destination. Yet, if you head West across the Seto Inland Sea to Hiroshima Prefecture, another property is quietly attracting…
The Art of Tea Ceremony in Japan
In a country often celebrated for its contrasts between tradition and modernity, few experiences reveal the depth of Japanese culture quite like a tea ceremony. It is an encounter shaped by centuries of tradition, where even the smallest details carry significance and nothing within the room feels accidental. Guests enter a space removed from the…
Shikoku and Slow Travel: Along the Pilgrim’s Path
Most journeys through Japan follow the well-known route between Tokyo and Kyoto. Cross the bridges of the Shimanami Kaido towards Shikoku and the atmosphere begins to shift. The pace slows. Neon signs become fewer and scenic train journeys take longer. Days are shaped less by packed itineraries and more by where you find yourself. A…
Shaped by Clay: Exploring Japan Through Its Pottery Traditions
Across Japan, the art of pottery is deeply tied to place. Ceramic traditions change from region to region, shaped by the surrounding landscape and the materials beneath it. Over centuries, towns formed around the clay beneath their feet, where smoke rose from kiln chimneys for generations and pottery became woven into everyday life. In these…
Azuma Farm Koiwai: A new luxury countryside retreat set in Iwate Prefecture
Tohoku, the northern region of Japan’s main island, is as quick to reach from Tokyo as Kanazawa or Osaka. A bullet train trip from Tokyo to Morioka only takes 2h20m: the same time it takes to reach Kyoto. And yet, despite the ease of access, only few travellers venture out to Northern Japan; but those…
A New Vision for Kaga Onsen: Ishikawa’s Changemakers
At the foothills of Mount Hakusan, Kaga Onsen has been welcoming travellers to its hot springs for more than 1,300 years. Located in Ishikawa Prefecture, the area is made up of four distinct onsen towns: Yamashiro, Yamanaka, Katayamazu and Awazu. Each has its own character but all share the same traditions of therapeutic waters and…
Matsumoto: A Gateway to the Japanese Alps
Often described as the gateway to the Japanese Alps, Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture is shaped as much by its mountains as by its past. While many travellers pass through on the way to Tokyo or the alpine resorts, those who stay discover a city shaped by samurai heritage, traditional arts and its surrounding vistas. From…
Beyond the Golden Route: Ishikawa’s Cultured, Creative Escape
Ishikawa has long been the trendy get-away for Japanese travellers, yet it remains a hidden gem for most overseas visitors. While many people stop by Kanazawa as a quick golden route add on, Ishikawa prefecture is overlooked, despite easy access on the Hokuriku shinkansen and all that it has to offer. Once one of Japan’s…
Flavours of the North: A Culinary Journey Through Otaru, Hokkaido
Tucked along the shimmering canal of Otaru, a quaint port city in central Hokkaido, lies a world of flavours just waiting to be explored. Otaru may be famed for its canals and glassworks, but it’s also a destination for delicious bowls of steaming ramen and delicate handmade sushi crafted with the island’s famously fresh seafood,…