Mt. Fuji: A Travel Guide to Japan’s Iconic Mountain
The single best English-language guide to the Mt. Fuji region: when to come, where the views actually are, and how the Yamanashi and Shizuoka sides differ.
Destinations
Regional travel guides covering all 10 of Japan’s major travel regions, from Hokkaido to Okinawa.
Kansai Thru Pass: The Pass JR Doesn’t Cover
JR doesn’t run to Kintetsu-Nara. JR doesn’t run on the Hankyu Arashiyama Line that pulls into the village across the Togetsukyo Bridge. JR doesn’t run the Keihan platforms three minutes from the foot of the Fushimi Inari torii tunnel. And JR’s national pass, the one most first-time Japan visitors buy on autopilot, doesn’t cover the … Read more
JR East Pass: The Northern Japan Alternative
Tokyo to Sendai and back, with a Niigata side trip thrown in, costs about ¥33,540 in individual reserved-seat Shinkansen tickets at 2026 fares. The same itinerary on the new unified JR EAST PASS is ¥35,000 for five days, with another four days of free movement around Tokyo, Niigata and the whole Tohoku interior baked in. … Read more
JR West Pass: Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima Without Overspending
Most travellers planning a Kansai-and-Hiroshima trip click straight to the national Japan Rail Pass. They see "unlimited rides for seven days" on the JR Group homepage and assume that's the answer. Then they pay ¥50,000 a head for a route that a ¥23,000 regional pass would have covered, with the same Shinkansen, the same reserved … Read more
Cherry Blossom in Hokkaido: Why May Beats April
Skip April. If you’ve already booked your Japan trip for late March or the first week of April and you’re chasing cherry blossom, fine, you’ll get them in Tokyo or Kyoto. But if you’re still picking dates, or you’ve done the Tokyo–Kyoto axis once already and want a second look, the smarter window is the … Read more
Cherry Blossom in Kyoto: Twelve Spots, Real Timing
Twelve named cherry blossom spots in Kyoto with real bloom timing, district groupings, and a planner-first take, from Maruyama to Ninna-ji.
Cherry Blossom in Tokyo: A Local Viewing Map
Tokyo cherry blossom geography by neighbourhood, with named spots, transit, fees, peak-bloom timing, and where to actually go for evening yozakura, morning crowds, and picnic atmosphere.