Kenroku-en Garden, Kanazawa: Is It Worth Visiting?
Is Kenroku-en Garden worth visiting? Our honest guide covers the crowds, key sights, Shigure-tei, how long to allow, current admission and free early entry.
7 Days in Kansai: Our Kyoto, Nara, Osaka & Himeji Itinerary
A realistic 7-day Kansai itinerary based on our Japan trips, with three days in Kyoto, a Nara day trip, two days in Osaka and Himeji Castle.
Best Day Trips from Tokyo: 6 Trips We Actually Took
Compare six Tokyo day trips we actually took by travel time, cost, highlights and drawbacks, from Kamakura and Hakone to Kawagoe and Mount Fuji.
Kawagoe Day Trip from Tokyo: Our Little Edo Itinerary
Our Kawagoe day trip included old merchant streets, sweet-potato treats, Hikawa Shrine and one very avoidable planning mistake. Here is the route we took, plus the version I would recommend now.
Yokohama Day Trip from Tokyo: Ramen Museum & Rainy-Day Route
A typhoon turned our planned Nikko excursion into a rainy Yokohama day trip. Here is what we actually did, what the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum was like and how I would improve the route now.