HAKODATE

Hokkaido has only one castle; the rest of its fortifications are actually relatively modern forts. And in the late 1860s, they were the site of the last hurrah of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Now connected to Japan's main island by Shinkansen, Hakodate offers a scenic waterfront, historic buildings, a star-shaped fort—and one of the three greatest night views in Japan!

The castles dotting Japan's landscape no longer host battles and political upheavals, but they're not boring relics. Many were the backdrop to some pretty unbelievable stories!

Japan's speediest train, the Shinkansen, now extends up to Japan's most northern island of Hokkaido, making it easier to enjoy red king crabs and the famous Sapporo Snow Festival.

A visit to Japan is incomplete without some travel on the Shinkansen, Japan’s bullet train network. With a new line connecting Hokkaido, there isn’t a better time to see all of Japan in the blink of an eye!

Whenever we talk about Christmas in Japan, most of us immediately imagine a snowy image and naturally associate it with Hokkaido.

Japan's regional cuisine hits the road—er, tracks—with "ekiben," or bento sold at train stations.

Though most diners categorize ramen into shoyu, miso, shio and tonkotsu types, here we examine the basic characteristics of a number of established regional styles—and just barely scratch the surface!