Want to enjoy spring the Japanese way? Join us between March and April — preferably with a packed picnic — for the great cherry-blossom party known as Hanami. Japan has thousands of Sakura spots, but these are some of the best compiled in a ma. We have few availability left for this incredible season. Contact […]
Some useful maps to help you find your way in Japan
What is less known about Japan, is that the country is also a wine producer. History of wine making in Japan started in the 19th century in the Yamanashi Prefecture, where grape growing began 1,000 years ago. Its consumption has long been strictly local but things are changing and as the country has decided to open its gastronomy to the world, this is not anymore just about the sake, wagyu beef or sushi, but also the viticulture!
This is the Koshu grape, an indigenous variety to which connoisseurs have turned for inspiration, but now high-quality wines are produced all over Japan.
Below is a list of vineyards and wineries you can visit for a tasting.
We are now having an exclusive Katsunuma Wine Tour, home to Koshu wine.
When your think about traveling to Japan, what directly comes to mind: visits of temples, shrines or onsens. Despite more than 30,000 km of coastline, beaches are rare in Japan, but the country offers beautiful beaches, little known to tourists, a magical combination of white sand, blue sky and turquoise water. We made a selection of some of the most beautiful beaches in Japan.
From the end of May and throughout June is the firefly season in Japan. Watching the fireflies or genji-botaru (ゲ ン ジ ボ タ ル, laciola) is a Japanese tradition you probably do not know, but it is one of the characteristics of Japanese summers. It can be a little difficult to see wild fireflies in central Tokyo, but many places with lush vegetation creates a perfect environment for the reproduction of its delicate insects and allow you to enjoy the beautiful sights of these scintillating points at night.
Note that it is extremely important to be calm when approaching the fireflies, and do not use flash during photo shoots.
Here is a list of our recommendations, where you can enjoy the fireflies in Tokyo, as in “Grave of the Fireflies” (火垂るの墓, Hotaru no haka?) Japanese animated film from Isao Takahata of Ghibli. Most of the websites are in Japanese, please contact us to book.
The capsule hotels (カ プ セ ル ホ テ ル, kapuseruhoteru) are part of the fantasy of many tourists traveling to Japan. They have the particularity to fully optimize the space occupied and the rooms are therefore limited to a single cabin bed. The Capsule Inn Osaka, designed by Kisho Kurokawa and located in the Umeda district of Osaka, was the first capsule hotel. It opened on 1 February 1979.
In this space there is all you need: a single bed, storage space, a lamp and a TV. Showers and changing rooms are collective. If the place looks very confined, for the claustrophobic, know there is space to move, or even sit down, it’s not a coffin. These “dormitories” rarely welcome the ladies. If this is the case, women and men will be separated. Finally, note that the capsules are only for one person.
Here is a list of some of the coolest ones in Japan.
Tokyo is an absolutely fun place to shop and every shopping aficionados know Tokyo’s reputation about it. It is an ideal destination for savvy shoppers as for electronics enthusiasts, video games, manga, traditional items or fashion buyers.
It is especially interesting that the Japanese government introduced the ability for foreigners to buy duty free items (computer and electronic equipment, handbag, clothes). And since October 2014, the system was extended to many other products, such as cosmetics, medicines and even food and drink.
This map is packed with useful information on products and stores recommended when coming from abroad.
During your trip to Japan, you plan to visit shrines and temples, enjoy sushi and local cuisine, experience the tea ceremony or meet geisha in Gion district … Among the best experiences, do not forget the onsen, the thermal bath or literally “hot springs”.
There are more than 27,000 hot springs and 3,000 spas in Japan, due to the volcanic origin of the archipelago. Wherever you are, you usually have a nearby station, where you can stay for a weekend. The Japanese, themselves, go there regularly, even for a much shorter period.
Here are our favorite Onsen in Japan.
Tokyo is just huge, an endless city, amazing both on the ground or at the 50th floor of a hotel or an office. If you are not high-sick and want to realize how huge is the metropolis, the only solution is to climb to the top of those buildings, often equipped with indoor and outdoor observatories. Towers like Skytree and Tokyo Tower are obviously among the most popular tourist attractions, but here is exhaustive list of places to see Tokyo from above.
Cat cafes in Tokyo are well known, but few people know that the Japanese capital also houses a veritable menagerie of animals inspired restaurants, with rabbits and owls, even penguins. In Japan many landlords prohibit owning pets, it is now also well known, the positive effect of the presence of pets to fight the stress of city dwellers and another reason may be a bit risky, the lack of affection Japanese could be a significant factor for the boom of those pets cafe. If some are excellent, others have not a soul out there. To avoid searching, we traveled all Tokyo to find the best “petto kaffe”.
Cherry blossoms put Tokyo into a good mood.
Tokyo Hanami season in Tokyo starts in late March, probably 23 this year and lasts about a week. The following are among Tokyo’s most popular Hanami spots.
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