Kurashiki, part of Okayama prefecture, is a small city known for its Edo-style village – Kurashiki Bikan Chika. Here you’ll find traditional craft and food stores housed in restored kura – beautiful white painted old warehouses that were common during the Edo period. A peaceful canal runs through the centre, framed by weeping willow trees. …
Nikko is a stunning World Heritage Site in Tochigi – about 2 hours Northwest of Tokyo by train. You could get there and back in a day if you really wanted to, but we highly recommend making this a long-weekend trip. This magical area has a long history of sacred mountain worship. In summer and …
Did you know Edo (now Tokyo) was one of the largest cities in the world during the 18th century? Edo grew rapidly from a small fishing town into a cultural hotpot of Kabuki and courtesans, sumo and ukiyo-e art; images of the floating world which we’re still enthralled with today. The Edo period (1603-1868) was …
In September 2018, while we were still living in Fukuoka, we took a couple of days off to visit Beppu and celebrate Rob’s birthday. The only requirements for the trip were to relax, so I figured Japan’s most famous onsen town was the perfect place to go! Beppu is a small city located right above …