Things to do in Japan, including onsen, food, nature, and traditional towns.
What to do · 96 field reports
Hidden Japan Gems lists 96 things to do across Japan, each one walked and timed in person rather than aggregated from other sites.
They span onsen towns, hands-on food experiences, day hikes, post-town walks, and festivals, sorted so you can match an experience to your region and travel month. Start with the Mt. Fuji area and Kyoto on a first trip; move to Tohoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu for the quieter alternatives.
Japan-s joyful trains, verified against the JR companies: which of 20 sightseeing trains are running in 2026, how to book each from abroad, what the Rail Pass really covers, and the ten picks worth building a trip around.
Ten waterfalls in Tochigi, from Kegon-s 97-metre plunge to a 65-metre-wide curtain five minutes from a station named Taki. Heights, buses, parking and 2026 trail status, all from official sources.
Japan’s autumn colour begins in mid-September on Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan range — the earliest koyo in the country. Gateways, timing and what to pack.
Japan's McDonald's Pokémon 30th burgers (July 22–Sept 1, 2026): the three new items, prices from ¥580, collectible starter-Pokémon wrappers, and my honest taste test.
Dazaifu Tenmangu near Fukuoka is the head shrine of Tenjin, deity of learning, where students pray for exam success. History, how to visit during the just-completed main-hall renovation, plum season, and access.
The Starbucks on the approach to Dazaifu Tenmangu is wrapped in about 2,000 cedar battens woven by architect Kengo Kuma. What to see, how to visit politely, and how to fold it into a shrine trip.
Go early. That’s the whole secret to Kadoya Tofu (角屋豆富店), a family tofu maker in Oshino that calls itself the “Tofu Station.” Get there in the morning and there’s still-warm tofu — and, when I visited, a little counter where…
Most people come to Oshino for the eight famously clear spring ponds of Oshino Hakkai. I come for the tofu. A few minutes from the ponds, an old family tofu maker called Hakkai Tofu (八海とうふ / Asano Shokuhin) turns Mt.…
Glass and cans are banned, there are no lockers and no re-entry at the 2026 summer tournament. The game-day routine that works: the AEON shopping run at 8:00, a heat kit that holds up, and Koshien curry inside.
The White Tiger of Kitora shows 1–30 August 2026 — free, and the second application window is open right now. What you’re actually seeing, how the applications work, and the Takamatsuzuka alternative.
Every image on Hidden Japan Gems was personally photographed on a Sony α7 across five years of walking Japan. Please don't re-use without permission — reach out if you'd like to.
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