Entering an onsen means to remove everything, literally. Onsen, the traditional Japanese hot springs, are not just a place to relax by immersing yourself in the hot thermal waters, but they are a place where you enter totally naked, stripping off your clothes, make-up, prejudices and anxieties about your body.…
Loyalty, obedience, sacrifice, honor… these are the values that we associate to the Samurai spirit of Bushido. In modern Japan there are still many traces of the feudal Japan of the past, such as the story of the 47 Ronin or that of the Byakkotai, the brigade of the White…
Among the many Japanese rites of the beginning of the year, such as the Hatsumode, the first visit of the year to the Shrine to pray for luck in the new year, there is also the Shichifujukin Meguri, or the pilgrimage of the 7 lucky gods. This pilgrimage is usually…
When I travel I usually choose where to overnight based on location and price, often choosing hostels, airbnb or simple guesthouses. They just need to be clean and well connected, because I’m just sleeping there, as I spend most of my time out exploring! The Japanese ryokans, however, are a…
Nikko is one of the gateways from Tokyo that with Kamakura is recommended most often. It’s a mystical place where temples and nature coexist in harmony. Of course, nowadays it is famous especially for the Unesco Heritage temples and the colorful Toshogu, appreciated by tourists who visit Nikko in a…
Ikaho is a district of Shibukawa Onsen, in Gunma prefecture, north of Tokyo, which became popular especially in the end of the 16th century, when injured samurai of the Sengoku Judai (Warring States Era) come here to heal their wounds in the thermal baths rich in Ikaho. Nowadays, along with…
In the heart of the Japanese Alps, along the Kiso valley, ancient Japan continues to live in the wooden buildings of post town along the ancient Nakasendo trail, one of the 5 great roads of the Edo Period, still walkable today for some sections in Kiso Valley. A journey into…
If you are looking for an unusual daytrip from Tokyo and love to walk in nature, Nokogiriyama in Chiba prefecture is the place for you. Mount Nokogiri is actually just over 300 meters and it’s known for its shape that if you look at it from a distance, the mountain…
In the mountains of Gunma, at 1200 meters above sea level, there is Kusatsu Onsen, a famous onsen town which together with Gero and Arima is one of the three hottest springs of Japan. Kusatsu Onsen is a very popular destination among the Japanese, but still little known by tourists,…
To travel around Japan, other than the fast, clean but expensive Japanese Shinkansen, there is a slower and also a little uncomfortable but much cheaper alternative: night buses. The Japanese night bus network is even more widespread than the high-speed train network, but it requires a bit of adaptability. The…