Japan travel tips and stories from my trips to this beautiful country.
I visited Japan many times and spent months there at a time, sometimes alone, sometimes with Ismo. Although I have been to Tokyo multiple times, instead of the neon lights of the capital and other big cities, I am drawn to traditional small villages, fragrant forests, and the Japanese mountain region with its onsen villages. The best thing is winter hiking and a dip in an onsen afterwards. Let’s not forget Japanese food, either.
Japan is my all-time favorite travel destination, and the country’s first capital, Nara, is my spiritual home, where I return again and again to meet the sacred deer.

Enjoy the journey with us – make a cup of green tea and take a comfortable position in your favorite armchair.
Which destination in Japan would you like to visit first?

Culinary Arts
Bars & Restaurants

Onsen
Hot Spring Spa Experiences

All about Japan

• 
  Mt. Tsurumi – Hiking the Volcano in Ōita
  Hiking in Japan is a spiritual path. Never an exercise only for the body, but for the mind.And, as everywhere, it always feels so good to get to the top of a mountain. This time, I was searching for my inner peace at Mt. Tsurumi. At times, it was a struggle. I mean the climbing… Lue lisää: Mt. Tsurumi – Hiking the Volcano in Ōita
• 
  Kaiseki – the Art of Japanese Cuisine
  Kyoto memories. What could be a better place to try Kaiseki than historical Kyoto? I was on my first 3-month-long journey in Japan, traveling solo, on a shoestring budget, and didn’t dine out much. My fiancé visited me for a week, short like a blink of an eye. We tried to celebrate our time together… Lue lisää: Kaiseki – the Art of Japanese Cuisine
• 
  Return to Nihon & Nikon – Sleeping in a Bookshelf in Tokyo
  Where Siberia ends, Japan begins. Our return to Tokyo comes at the very end of the Trans-Siberian Railway. When we set off on our month-long journey through Siberia, Japan had already been our original destination. Our new nomadic life allowed for slow travel, so we chose the train over flying. Awaiting us at the end… Lue lisää: Return to Nihon & Nikon – Sleeping in a Bookshelf in Tokyo
• 
  Fukui – emotional evening at Japanese shokudō
  Japan is a large country full of cities that most Western tourists have never heard of. Many of these cities, with their charming old towns, are bursting with sights and experiences.Fukui is not one of them.
• 
  Nara, my home in Japan
  We’re sitting on the floor of an old soy sauce factory’s warehouse, eating a meal we warmed up in the microwave.This nearly two-hundred-year-old building is located in Japan’s first capital, Nara. Today, this meticulously restored building operates as the Naramachi Hostel in the neighborhood of the same name.This is where we’ll lay our heads on… Lue lisää: Nara, my home in Japan
• 
  Christmas in the Japanese Alps: Onsen bathing in Takayama’s Winter Wonderland
  *Contains affiliate links to accommodations The train from Nagoya arrives at Takayama station with us on board.Finally.Not that trains in Japan would ever be late — they definitely aren’t — but certain Western travelers might be. After spending nine nights in Nagoya, we are slowly heading to the mountains of Takayama to celebrate Christmas in… Lue lisää: Christmas in the Japanese Alps: Onsen bathing in Takayama’s Winter Wonderland
• 
  Smoking good Tokyo restaurants
  *This post contains affiliate links Thousands of Tokyo restaurants – there’s no shortage of options. Countless dining spots are one of the best things about the biggest city in the world.You might even come across a couple of places famous for Hollywood movies. Here are a couple of those, as well as some local eateries… Lue lisää: Smoking good Tokyo restaurants
• 
  Takayama – a New Year’s Eve like in a movie
  A Briton and two Finns are sitting in the only open bar in Takayama village in Japan.It’s New Year’s Eve.The city is deserted. On a silent night, everything turns upside down, and suddenly we are in Kurosawa’s Dreams. But at least this is not Skyfall.
• 
  Adopting friends in Nagoya
  Have you noticed, that eventually, you will bump into the best guys again? I mean those people you meet on your travels and wonder if you ever see again. Then you meet them on the other side of the world in the most surprising ways. This time, in Nagoya, Japan, there were fewer surprises.If we… Lue lisää: Adopting friends in Nagoya
• 
  Where to stay in Tokyo on a budget
  Where to stay in Tokyo on a budget? Is that even possible? Yes, it is!Japan, and especially Tokyo, has a reputation for being a high-cost travel destination. The truth is, it’s much cheaper than most people expect. You can do it with a tight budget, too.I share my tips for a few affordable hotels and… Lue lisää: Where to stay in Tokyo on a budget
• 
  Memories from Japan: Hakone
  Memories from Japan is a collection of my notes, unedited, originally written in my travel diary or published on Facebook for my friends to read. *This post contains affiliate links
• 
  Memories from Japan: Shibu Onsen
  There are so many stories to tell. I haven’t had time to share with you all of my adventures as I want to spend my time concentrating on these adventures and not online, tied to the laptop. I get a pretty good share of that in my work anyway.But I’ve got an idea. Maybe I… Lue lisää: Memories from Japan: Shibu Onsen

Japan – visited places map

I haven’t written a post about every place I have visited in Japan, but here you can see where I’ve been. To be honest, I have written way too little from Japan compared to the amount of time I’ve spent there. I have also tens of thousands of unpublished photos from Japan, so I think it’s about time to give you a treat with those too… but before that, click the map and feel free to ask me more about any destination you are interested in. A little by little, I will add more posts here.