All About Japan

Iwami Art Museum Celebrates Legendary Fashion Designer Hanae Mori

A remarkable exhibition spotlighting the pioneering fashion designer Hanae Mori is under way at Iwami Art Museum in the stunning Shimane Arts Center complex (aka “Grand Toit”) in Shimane Prefecture.

Books

Christopher Harding: Bringing Japan’s History and Culture to a Wide Audience

An interview with Christopher Harding, historian and author, who explores Japan’s culture and history through books that blend narrative flair with scholarship.

Japanese Wine

Niigata

Niigata Wine Coast: A Wine Region Built From Scratch

The Niigata Wine Coast may just be the most beautiful wine region in Japan, and is perfect for a weekend getaway.

Tokyo

GO WILD TOKYO 4/ Ogasawara—Another Side of Adventure Beyond the Sea

Roughly 1,000 kilometers south of the capital—24 hours by ferry—the Ogasawara Islands are a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site famed for the endemic wildlife and pristine ecosystems. In 2023, Kanaka Village, a “luxury-eco” hideaway designed for travelers seeking to reconnect with nature, opened on the largest inhabited island of Chichijima, in the remote area of Kitafukurozawa.

Pick Ups

Selected reads from our editors

Awaji Island Blue: Cycling Japan's Island Birthplace

Awaji Island is an ideal cycling destination located in Japan's picturesque Inland Sea. It is the legendary birthplace of Japan, and present home to a grassroots movement that includes indigo dyers, farm-to-table restauranteurs, unique local potters, and friendly cafes.

GO WILD TOKYO 3/ A Retreat in the Natural Surroundings of Hinohara Village

Tokyo is one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, and its borders stretch far beyond the central area’s towering skyline and bustling streets. This is one of a series introducing parts of Tokyo known for natural wonders, spectacular landscapes, and numerous species

GO WILD TOKYO 2/ A Wilderness Experience at Hinohara Village

GO WILD TOKYO 1/ Experience the great outdoors on Izu Oshima Island

Tokyo is one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, and its borders stretch far beyond the skyline and bustling streets. This article is the first of a series called “GO WILD TOKYO,” featuring trips that let you experience Tokyo’s great outdoors. In it we introduce p

Travel

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Tokyo

GO WILD TOKYO 8 / Hamura — An Abandoned-Railway Journey Tracing the City’s Memories of Water and Rail

Hamura City, along the middle reaches of the Tama River, is a compact municipality where people and water systems have long coexisted—and where diverse wildlife and human life still share the landscape. In the Edo period, excavation of the Tamagawa Josui aqueduct brought water to Edo. From the Meiji through the Showa eras, construction of the Murayama Reservoir and Yamaguchi Reservoir made Hamura the starting point for sending water to Tokyo—and remain as sources that sustain daily life. Through tours that trace the route of the former Hamura–Yamaguchi Light Railway that was used to build those reservoirs, the Hamura City Tourism Association shares the region’s role and history.

Tokyo

GO WILD TOKYO 7 / Bridging Safety and Adventure: On the Frontline of Adventure-Tourism Guide Training

About an hour by train from Shinjuku, the Nishitama area of western Tokyo opens into gentle valleys with clear rivers and forested mountains. Today, this region has become a hub for raising the standard of Japan’s adventure-tourism (AT) guides to international levels—and spreading those standards nationwide. Leading the charge is Fourth Wellness (now Tokyo Yamagawa DMC). Despite its location within Tokyo, the Tama area encompasses a national park and brims with nature, history, and culture. With mountains, rivers, and four distinct seasons that support diverse ecosystems, it is an ideal place both to enjoy adventure tourism and to cultivate professional guides. We joined the field sessions of their guide-training program.

Tokyo

GO WILD TOKYO 6 / A Members-Only Cabin in Hinohara Village Where You Learn from Fire and Nature

Hinohara Village lies at Tokyo’s western edge, with forests covering roughly 90 percent of its land. Despite being only about 90 minutes by car from central Tokyo, the area boasts an untouched natural environment ideal for trekking, river play, and fishing. It’s the only municipality in Tokyo (excluding the island areas) officially designated as a “village,” where traditional mountain hamlet scenery and culture still endure. Once sustained by forestry and mountain worship, the community today is welcoming new hubs—cafés, saunas, accommodations—and bringing in fresh sensibilities. It’s an area to watch for it blend of history and new ideas.

Food & Drink

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Nara

Eating and Drinking the Back Streets of Nara

Most people do Nara as a day trip, but actually staying there and spending a few days--and nights--lets you explore the rich cuisine of its backstreets.

Restaurants

Taste of Japan

Humble Feasts: 36 Hours of Osaka Comfort Food

Osaka’s vibrant southern district of Namba offers a wealth of reasonable dining options, the best of which are neighborhood landmarks serving local favorites.

Shizuoka

Savoring Shizuoka: A Gourmet Adventure

A short distance south of Tokyo, Shizuoka Prefecture is earning a reputation as a luxury destination for those in search of unique accommodations and culinary discoveries.

Entertainment

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Shimane

Iwami Art Museum Celebrates Legendary Fashion Designer Hanae Mori

Books

Christopher Harding: Bringing Japan’s History and Culture to a Wide Audience

An interview with Christopher Harding, historian and author, who explores Japan’s culture and history through books that blend narrative flair with scholarship.

Ukiyo-e

Erotic Ukiyo-e Exhibition in Tokyo’s Nightlife District

Sensual works of art from centuries past come to Tokyo’s Kabukicho district. A superb collection of shunga, erotic woodblock prints by some of Japan’s Edo-period masters, are being shown at two unique venues, inviting viewers to explore timeless expressions of desire, beauty, and intimacy in one of Japan’s most energetic neighborhoods. (Admission limited to those 18 and over).

Innovation

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Fukui

Fukui: New Trends Crafted from Traditional Skills

This August, LUMINE Singapore, the concept store featuring Japanese fashion and lifestyle brands, will feature the best of Fukui Prefecture’s craft products in a pop-up store commemorating the opening of its new flagship store at Raffles City.

Weaving

Okinawa

Tsumugi Silk: Poor Man's Fabric Turned Luxury Folkcraft

Tsumugi silk is the result of a labor-intensive artistic weaving style that is prized for its supple softness and unique designs.

Design

Architecture

Small Spaces, Part IV: Japanese Ideas for Small and Tiny Homes

The fourth of a series on innovative, space-saving methods from traditional and modern Japanese architecture that can be used in any home, regardless of size.

Life in Japan

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Craft Beer

Shikoku

Life in Rural Japan: Three International Kochi Residents

More foreign nationals are finding their base in rural Japan. Here are the stories of three residents of nature-rich Kochi Prefecture.

Museum

Art

The Mesmerizing Art of Munakata Shiko

A major retrospective looks at how "time" and "place" shaped famous 20th c. printmaker Munakata Shiko.

Information

Local Creators' Market

Japan's Amazing DIY Superstores: From Cheap Urban Farming to Building a Home

DIY has always been big in Japan. Now a number of stores cater to the creative in all of us, whether its gardening, interior renovation, crafts or even building your own house.

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