Category Location

Travel destinations in Japan, organized by region.

Location, Chubu, Culture, Gifu, Route

Magome-juku: Nakasendo Post Town & the Walk to Tsumago

The stone-paved main street of Magome-juku post town curving downhill toward the Kiso mountains and distant Mt Ena at golden hour, lined with dark timber post-town houses and a pine

A stone-paved Nakasendo post town in the Kiso Valley, and the trailhead for the classic 9 km walk over Magome Pass to Tsumago: access, the hike, luggage forwarding and the best time to go.

Nobu
July 1, 2026

Seasonal Travel, Location, Travel Tips

Where to Go in Japan in October 2026: 6 Highland Autumn Gems

The wooden Yahho Deck observation platform at Hakuba Iwatake Mountain Resort with a small group of visitors looking out across green forest to the snow-capped Hakuba Sanzan three peaks of Shirouma Shakushi and Yari in late May

In October 2026, autumn reaches Japans highlands weeks before the Kyoto maples. Six hidden gems-the Northern Alps, Kiso post towns and old forests-at their best.

Nobu
June 30, 2026

Location, Experience, Food, Hyogo, Kansai

Orizuru Kinosaki Onsen: Sushi & ¥8,800 Course in a Historic Hot Spring Town

A wide assortment of nigiri, gunkan, and maki sushi arranged on a dark wooden board at Orizuru in Kinosaki Onsen, with vertical white Japanese lettering reading Sushi Orizuru Kinosaki Onsen.

I ate the ¥8,800 set course at Orizuru, a sushi restaurant in Kinosaki Onsen open since Showa 17. This draft covers the course contents, hours, reservation note, and location.

Nobu
June 29, 2026

Location, Experience, Food, Kanto, Tokyo, Travel Tips

Takinoya: An Old-School Soba Shop in Mitaka, Tokyo

A duck soba set at Takinoya in Mitaka: a bowl of hot duck-and-leek dipping broth in front and a tray of chilled soba noodles behind, with condiments, on a wood table in the old soba shop.

Takinoya, an old-school tatami-room soba shop in Shinkawa, Mitaka (west Tokyo): a 1,100 yen duck soba, closed Wednesdays, cash or QR only, and a genuine local feel off the tourist track.

Nobu
June 27, 2026

Location, Travel Tips

Japan’s Hidden Gems: 44 Places a Local Actually Goes (2026)

A four-photo collage of Japan's hidden gems: Takachiho Gorge waterfall, the Ine boat-house village, Takeda Castle above a sea of clouds, and Lake Shusenko's sunken forest.

A local's running guide to Japan's hidden gems: 44 off-the-beaten-path places organized by region - from a sunken forest in Akita to boat villages and castles in the clouds - each with a detailed guide.

Nobu
June 26, 2026

Location, Chubu, Experience, Food, Travel Tips, Yamanashi

Tabi-no-Eki Kawaguchiko Base: A Roadside Food Stop by Mt Fuji

The modern wood-and-steel exterior of Tabi-no-Eki Kawaguchiko Base under a clear blue sky, with the tabi-no-eki sign and an Asama Market board by the entrance, near Lake Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi.

Tabi-no-Eki Kawaguchiko Base, a roadside food market on Lake Kawaguchiko north shore near Mt Fuji: a share-sized 1 kg Fujizakura-pork sauce katsudon, the Asama Market of local produce, wine and strawberries - plus an honest note on its tourist pricing.

Nobu
June 24, 2026

Location, Chubu, Seasonal Travel, Weather & Seasons, Yamanashi

Asumiko Pond (Hasu-ike): Lotus & Hydrangea in Fujiyoshida

A dense bank of blue and white hydrangea in full bloom on a grassy slope beside Asumiko pond in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, with green forest rising behind on an overcast late-June day.

Asumiko Pond (Hasu-ike) in Fujiyoshida: a Mt-Fuji-worship lake with ~20,000 lotus (mid-July-August) and a 1,500-plant hydrangea slope (July). Seasons, access and a late-June photo walk.

Nobu
June 23, 2026

Location, Akita, Culture, Events & Festivals, News & Updates, Seasonal Travel, Tohoku, Travel Tips, Weather & Seasons

Akita Kantō Festival 2026: Japan’s Lantern-Pole Spectacle

Several tall kanto poles strung with glowing paper lanterns rise above a large nighttime crowd on Kanto Odori during the Akita Kanto Festival, with performers in happi coats balancing the poles in Akita City.

The Akita Kanto Festival (3-6 August 2026): around 280 bamboo poles strung with ~10,000 lanterns, balanced on palms and foreheads on Kanto Odori.

Nobu
June 22, 2026

Location, Events & Festivals, Ibaraki, Kanto, News & Updates, Seasonal Travel, Weather & Seasons

Tone River Grand Fireworks 2026: Sakai’s 30,000-Shell Show

A wide star-mine of red, orange and silver fireworks fills the night sky and reflects across the dark surface of the Tone River at the Sakai Grand Fireworks festival in Ibaraki, Japan.

The Tone River Grand Fireworks 2026 in Sakai, Ibaraki: about 30,000 shells on 19 September, four makers competing, free riverbank views and paid seats.

Nobu
June 22, 2026

Location, Experience, Food, Kanto, Tokyo, Travel Tips

Imahana: A Shōwa-Era Set-Meal Diner in West Tokyo

A brick-patterned wall inside the small Imahana diner in Setagaya, Tokyo, completely covered with hand-brushed paper menu cards listing set meals in black ink above a wooden table and bench.

Imahana, a Showa-era set-meal diner in Kita-Karasuyama, west Tokyo: a wall of hand-brushed menus, ginger pork, chicken katsu and omurice, cash only.

Nobu
June 22, 2026