Honest planning guides, destination deep dives, seasonal advice, and the kind of detail that takes years to find out. Written for independent travellers who want to get Japan right.
Japan's biggest domestic travel period runs late April to early May. Here's what changes, what fills up first, and how to still have a great trip if your dates fall during it.
Powder skiing, snow festivals, drift ice, and red crowned cranes. Hokkaido in winter is unlike anywhere else in Japan. Here's how to plan it properly.
The JR Pass isn't always the money saver it's made out to be. Here's how to work out whether it makes sense for your specific itinerary, and what to buy instead if it doesn't.
Both get exceptional powder. But they're very different experiences. Here's how to choose between Japan's two headline ski destinations based on what you actually want from a ski trip.
Miso ramen, soup curry, uni, crab, lavender soft serve, Jingisukan. Hokkaido has one of the great regional food cultures in Japan. Here's what to order and where.
Autumn colour in Japan starts in Hokkaido in September and moves south through November. Here's how the timing works, where to go at each stage, and how to avoid the crowds.
The rules, the etiquette, the tattoo question, and how to find good ones. A practical guide to experiencing one of Japan's defining cultural traditions without getting it wrong.
Sakura season is when Japan fills up, and it is the hardest time of year to plan. Here's how the blossom front works, where to go by region, and how to book before everything sells out.
A rental car reaches the parts of Hokkaido the trains do not. Here's what to know before you pick up the keys: international permits, winter driving, fuel in remote areas, and the deer problem.
