⛩️ Japan Voyage Travel

Travel Guides

Kyoto and Kamakura Autumn Leaves 2026: Peak Dates and Light-Ups

Photo: lumoplank / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)

Kyoto and Kamakura Autumn Leaves 2026: Peak Dates and Light-Ups

October 30, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Kyoto and Kamakura Autumn Leaves 2026: Peak Dates and Light-Ups The maples in Kyoto turn red in the second half of November, and Kamakura's a week or two later, often into December. This guide c...
New Year in Japan 2026-2027: What Is Closed, What Is Open, and Hatsumode

© vitalsine / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

New Year in Japan 2026-2027: What Is Closed, What Is Open, and Hatsumode

October 30, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
New Year in Japan 2026-2027: What Is Closed, What Is Open, and Hatsumode Shogatsu, the New Year holiday, is the one time of year when Japan really stops. Offices close, banks close, family resta...
Japan Winter Illuminations 2026-2027: Dates, Hours and Prices

© 掬茶 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Japan Winter Illuminations 2026-2027: Dates, Hours and Prices

October 30, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Japan Winter Illuminations 2026-2027: Dates, Hours and Prices From late October to spring, Japanese parks, shopping districts and main streets string up lights, and some of them stay lit for six...
Haneda Airport to Shinjuku and Central Tokyo by Train and Bus (2026)

© MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Haneda Airport to Shinjuku and Central Tokyo by Train and Bus (2026)

October 30, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Haneda is close to the city. From the international terminal you can be on the platform at Shinagawa in 11 minutes, and almost nowhere in central Tokyo is more than 40 minutes away by train. The ha...
Narita Airport to Shinjuku and Central Tokyo by Train and Bus (2026)

© MaedaAkihiko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Narita Airport to Shinjuku and Central Tokyo by Train and Bus (2026)

October 30, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Narita is a long way out. The airport sits about 60 kilometres east of central Tokyo, in Chiba, and whichever way you go you will spend roughly an hour getting in. The good news is that there are a...
Dogo Onsen photo

Japan's Famous Day-Trip Onsen: Historic Public Bathhouses You Can Just Walk Into

October 07, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Japan's Famous Day-Trip Onsen: Historic Public Bathhouses You Can Just Walk Into You do not need a ryokan booking to bathe in Japan's best-known hot spring water. Most onsen towns keep public ba...
Shimanami Kaido Cycling Guide: Route Map and Island Stops

© meinen ryu / Pexels (Pexels License)

Shimanami Kaido Cycling Guide: Route Map and Island Stops

October 07, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Ride between Imabari and Onomichi through the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. This guide pairs a real mapped route with ideas for choosing your ride, planning rental returns and adding sightseeing ...
Okochi Sanso Garden photo

Kyoto beyond the crowds: quiet temples and mountain shrines

August 14, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Kyoto beyond the crowds: quiet temples and mountain shrines Kyoto's crowding problem is smaller than it looks. It is concentrated in about six places: Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, t...
Matsumoto Castle photo

Japan's Black Castles: A Guide to the Kuroi Shiro (Crow Castles)

July 29, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Japan's Black Castles: A Guide to the Kuroi Shiro (Crow Castles) Not every Japanese castle is a white one. Alongside famous white keeps like Himeji, Japan has a striking family of black castles,...
Nushima photo

Awaji Island and Nushima: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026)

July 28, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Awaji Island and Nushima: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026) Awaji Island sits in the sea between Kobe and Shikoku, crossed by most people at 100km/h on the highway bus and seen by almost n...
Silver grass on the Tonomine Highlands under a blue autumn sky

Hyogo's Hidden North: A San'in-Side Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026)

July 28, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Hyogo's Hidden North: A San'in-Side Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026) Almost everyone who comes to Hyogo sees Himeji Castle and Kobe and goes no further. Head north from Himeji, though, and t...
Okishima photo

Lake Biwa and Hidden Shiga: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026)

July 28, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Lake Biwa and Hidden Shiga: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Itinerary (2026) Shiga sits right next to Kyoto, barely fifteen minutes by train, yet almost no visitors stop. That is their loss. Wrapped arou...
The Weirdest and Most Exciting Soft Serves in Kansai

The Weirdest and Most Exciting Soft Serves in Kansai

July 28, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
The Weirdest and Most Exciting Soft Serves in Kansai Soft serve is a road-trip institution in Japan, and the best place to find it is a michi-no-eki, the roadside stations that double as farm mark...
When Do Japan's Beaches Open in 2026? Swimming Season Dates by Region

When Do Japan's Beaches Open in 2026? Swimming Season Dates by Region

June 28, 2026 • Sampo Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
When Do Japan's Beaches Open in 2026? Swimming Season Dates by Region Most Japanese beaches are only open for swimming during a fixed season. A beach holds an "umibiraki" (海開き), the official ope...
Yakushima Travel Guide (2026) — Discover the Inspiration behind Princess Mononoke

Yakushima Travel Guide (2026) — Discover the Inspiration behind Princess Mononoke

June 09, 2026 • Anssi Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Yakushima is a small island located south of Kagoshima in southern Japan. Covered by mountains and dense cedar forests, it is best known for its hiking trails, ancient trees, waterfalls, and wildli...
How to Visit Gunkanjima: Complete Hashima Island Travel Guide

How to Visit Gunkanjima: Complete Hashima Island Travel Guide

June 01, 2026 • Anssi Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
How to Visit Gunkanjima: Complete Hashima Island Travel Guide Gunkanjima, also known as Hashima Island, is an abandoned mining island near Nagasaki in southern Japan. The island became famou...
How to Get from Kansai Airport to Umeda (Osaka) by Train – 2026 Guide

How to Get from Kansai Airport to Umeda (Osaka) by Train – 2026 Guide

March 12, 2026 • Anssi Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Traveling from Kansai International Airport to the Umeda area of Osaka is simple and convenient. One of the easiest options is to take the Haruka Limited Express and get off at Osaka Station. The ...
The Easiest Way to Travel from KIX to Kobe, Sannomiya (2026 Guide)

The Easiest Way to Travel from KIX to Kobe, Sannomiya (2026 Guide)

March 12, 2026 • Anssi Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Traveling from Kansai International Airport to Sannomiya Station in Kobe is easy and comfortable using the Airport Limousine Bus that is operated by Hankyu. The bus goes directly from the airport t...
The Fastest and Easiest Way to Kyoto From Kansai International Airport (2026 Guide)

The Fastest and Easiest Way to Kyoto From Kansai International Airport (2026 Guide)

March 12, 2026 • Anssi Kuokkanen • Japan Voyage Travel
Traveling from Kansai International Airport to Kyoto is simple and convenient. The most direct option is the Haruka Limited Express, which connects the airport directly to Kyoto Station in about 75...

How to Sauna in Japan: Steps, Etiquette and What "Totonou" Means

October 26, 2026 • Kumihimo KOBE • Japan Voyage Travel
The Sauna, the Cold Bath, and the Art of Resting Travel around Japan and you'll find saunas in a lot of places: hot springs, neighborhood bathhouses, hotels, big bathing complexes. The sauna itsel...