Browsing: Japan

There is a particular kind of place in this world that doesn’t call out to you. It simply exists, waiting for the traveler who has finally learned that the most meaningful destinations are the ones that ask something of you in return. Kagawa is one of those places.

In the northeastern corner of Shikoku, facing the calm waters of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan’s smallest prefecture wears its scale lightly. You won’t find the breathless …

There is a Japan that most visitors never find, along a rugged coast where the Sea of Japan meets the shore and centuries of isolation forged some of the world’s most extraordinary craft traditions. This is Hokuriku: the three-prefecture arc of Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui that stretches along Honshu’s northwestern flank. Once requiring a full day’s journey to reach from Tokyo, the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen has redrawn the map of Japanese travel, placing …

As the home of Mount Fuji, there’s already an expectation that Shizuoka will be a scenic delight of any trip to Japan. But outside the shadow of Japan’s highest mountain is a cultural heritage, beaches, and fresh seafood cuisine.

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Surely one of the darkest destinations in Japan is the Aokigahara Forest, also known as the “Sea of Trees” or “Suicide Forest.” Located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji, it is a dense, moss-covered forest that has gained notoriety as a place where many people go to take their own lives. The forest has a complex history and is shrouded in myth and legend, but its current reputation as a place of tragedy is …

Sushi is a popular Japanese dish, but if you’re visiting Japan, it’s important to know how to eat sushi the right way according to Japanese etiquette. There are many different types of sushi available in Japan, so understanding the differences between them can help you order what you like.

Sushi comes in several preparations: sashimi, nigiri, and maki among others. Nigiri is sushi consisting of a piece of fish or other seafood atop …