Our fall colors forecast for Japan offers peak viewing info & tips for popular autumn foliage spots, including Kyoto, Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Himeji, and Nara. We’ll also share strategy for visiting the best temples, shrines, and evening illuminations. Autumn is one of the most stunning times of the year in Japan, and one […]
Our Kyoto, Japan planning guide offers tips & tricks, recommendations for hotels and other accommodations, best temples & shrines, transportation hacks, where to eat, crowd info, what it’s like to visit post-reopening, why we love the city, and more. (Updated January 4, 2025.) If you’re already in Kyoto and are scrambling to figure out what to […]
Wondering whether the Japan Rail Pass is worth the money? This buying guide covers where you can use the JR Pass, how much value you’ll get on a normal trip to Tokyo and Kyoto, and answers to frequently asked questions about the unlimited train ticket. It also covers our many experiences purchasing the JR Pass […]
Our 2025 Tokyo travel guide offers info & tips, things to do, transportation info, where to eat, best hotels, avoiding crowds, itineraries for the city, and more. Whether you’re visiting for cherry blossom, fall colors, or in between, we’ve got you covered. (Updated January 4, 2025.) Tokyo can be an intimidating place to visit. As […]
This guide covers where to stay in Kyoto, with recommendations for the best area of the city. We also weigh pros & cons of various styles of accommodations: Japanese lodging (machiya & ryokan), luxurious or budget-friendly hotel rooms, top Airbnbs, and more. No matter how long you’re staying in Kyoto, you won’t have enough time. […]
“NO LIMIT! Christmas” is a holiday event at Universal Studios Japan from mid-November 2025 through early January 2026. The holiday festivities include a stage show, record-setting tree, decorations in Super Nintendo World, and more. This guide shares our tips for USJ’s winter entertainment, plus our experience and photos. Dates have not yet been set for […]
Here are my tips for visiting Glacier National Park, and top 10 things to do–from hiking to eating. This guide covers my favorite things I’ve done on trips to Montana, and isn’t be viewed as comprehensive. You’d need a month or more to even approach doing everything in GNP, and even then you’d miss plenty. […]
Evening illuminations during sakura season are popular at temples, castles, and gardens in Kyoto, Japan. This list shares the best nighttime cherry blossom spots throughout the city, with 2024 dates & details, plus our recommended 1-night itinerary if you only have a single night to see all of the special lights. We’ve experienced sakura season […]
TeamLab Planets and Borderless are interactive digital art museums in Tokyo Japan that offer galleries of immersive and Instagrammable surreal installations. This review explains what that actually means, shares photos from inside the exhibits and covers whether it’s worth the time, money & effort to visit, plus tips for buying tickets. teamLab offers a number of temporary exhibitions […]
Our Universal Studios Japan restaurant reviews feature food photos from dining spots throughout the park, menu photos, and tips for what to order while at this theme park in Osaka, now including Super Nintendo World. From cute snacks to hearty meals, and Mario to Harry Potter to Hello Kitty, we’ve got you covered! (Updated March […]