Tokyo · Diamond Fuji 2026-27 By Nobu · Updated September 2026 · Checked 14 September 2026 against the Takao cable-car operator’s Diamond Fuji page, Sunshine City’s season announcement and MLIT’s viewing-date lists. Status labels below distinguish what is announced for…
Kyoto's lodging keeps climbing and dual pricing is creeping in. 4 cheaper base cities where your 2026 yen goes furthest — Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Okayama, Takamatsu.
Takeda Castle, Japan's 'castle in the sky' in Hyogo: when the sea of clouds appears, the Ritsuunkyo viewpoint, the conditions you need, hours and access.
Tatsumi Shokudo in Susono, at the foot of Mt Fuji: a Showa-era diner serving hearty teishoku, stewed offal and beef-with-egg, with free rice. Hours, what to order, access.
Tokyo's biggest weekend flea market at Oi Racecourse: verified October to December 2026 dates (October: Sat 3, Sat 24, Sun 25 and Sat 31), winter hours from 31 October (8:45–14:15 on most dates, four days close earlier), free entry and about 700 stalls.
Japan's hottest summer on record was 2025, and 2026 looks just as hot. Here's where I go to escape the heat — cool highland escapes, not crowded Hokkaido.
Kinomiya Shrine, Atami: the 2,000-year-old great camphor, the walk-around-the-trunk ritual, free entry, nightly light-up, tea by the tree, and access.
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, Nagano: wild macaques bathing in a hot spring. What it costs, when they actually soak, the icy 1.6km trail, and how to get there.
Michi-no-Eki Hakuba roadside station, Nagano: what a michi-no-eki is, Hakuba's purple rice as amazake and chiffon, the soba set, hours and how to get there.
Osaka Castle guide 2026: the 1931 reconstructed keep, the 130-ton Takoishi stone, 13 surviving Edo structures, admission ¥1,200, hours and beating the crowds.
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