Complete 2026 guide to flying from the USA to Japan: 17 direct routes, ZIPAIR/ANA/JAL/United/Delta/American comparison, HND vs NRT, JR Pass math, eSIM setup, and the mistakes American first-timers make every time.
Minoo Falls (箕面の滝) — a 33m waterfall reachable in 26 minutes from Umeda. Complete 2026 walking guide: 2.7km Takimichi trail, momiji tempura, autumn foliage, current trail closure status, and clear access info.
A practical 5-day Shikoku itinerary covering Naoshima art island, Kotohira Shrine, Iya Valley vine bridge, Dogo Onsen, Matsuyama Castle and Kochi — with 2026 prices, transport notes, and the All Shikoku Rail Pass changes.
A 5-day Tohoku itinerary from Tokyo: Sendai gyutan, Matsushima Bay cruise, Yamaderas 1,015 steps, Ginzan Onsen ryokan, Hirosaki Castle cherry blossoms, and Aomori Nebuta — with 2026 JR EAST PASS pricing.
Japan · May 2026 · Festival & Travel Calendar Sakura is finished, the rains haven’t started, and the country shifts into its loudest two weeks of festival season. May rewards travellers who time it right and quietly punishes those who…
Shiga · Lake Biwa · Floating Torii A vermillion gate standing thirty metres out in Japan’s biggest lake. Mountains on the horizon. A small shrine across a busy road. Nothing about this place looks particularly spectacular until you actually stand…
Shiga · Lake Biwa Western Shore · One Day Kyoto runs out of corners after a few days. The next thing most travellers reach for is Nara or Osaka. Here is the better answer if you have already done those:…
Japan · Festival & Season Calendar 2026 Japan has roughly three hundred thousand festivals a year. Ninety percent of travel blogs cover the same five. This calendar is the opposite — it tells you what any given month is actually…
Japan · Payments · 2026 Field Report The old advice was “bring a wad of cash, Japan barely takes cards.” The old advice is dead. Japan has quietly, finally, gone mostly cashless in the last three years. But the last…
Osaka · Walking Route · One Day Osaka is not pretty. It’s the loud, crooked, soup-stained younger brother of Kyoto. I mean that kindly. If you only have one day, don’t spend it on a bus — walk through it.…
Field notes, weekly
One email a week. The Japan worth planning around.
Nearly every image on Hidden Japan Gems was photographed by me on a Sony α7 across five years of walking Japan; a few licensed photos fill the gaps. Please don't re-use my photos without permission — reach out if you'd like to.
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