Japanese Etiquette: How to Act Like You’re Japanese
Japanese etiquette made simple: where to eat, what to say before and after meals, chopstick rules, topping up drinks and the one word that works anywhere.
Operating Guidelines for Using a Japanese High-tech Toilet
A first encounter with the Japanese toilet in a hotel: heated seat, washing and drying functions, music to mask sounds and a panel full of mystery buttons.
How to Pray at a Shinto Shrine in Japan
Learn how to pray at a Shinto shrine in Japan: make your offering, ring the bell, bow twice, clap twice and bow once more. Simple etiquette for first visits.
Geisha and Maiko in Gion
Hoping to see geisha and maiko in Gion? What it's really like on Kyoto's streets, why respect matters, and how to watch without crowding or chasing anyone.
Gokayama, a Historic Village and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in...
Gokayama in Toyama is a UNESCO-listed village of steep-roofed gassho farmhouses. Learn its history, how locals still live here and what a ryokan stay is like.
Koyasan: A Mountaintop Buddhist Retreat with Over 100 Temples
Mount Koya in Wakayama is the center of Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, with temple lodgings, Okunoin cemetery, Danjo Garan and Kongobu-ji. UNESCO listed in 2004.
Japan’s Boob Temple
Japan's boob temple, Mamma Kannon in Komaki, Aichi, is lined with breast statues and hundreds of ema prayer tablets. Here's what to expect when you visit.
Japan: Spiritual Sites and Serendipity
A route from Mt. Fuji and Lake Yamanakako to Nara's deer park and Todaiji, ending at Koyasan's Okunoin cemetery, with guesthouse and train tips.
Kyoto in a Day: The Sites to Visit
Kyoto in a day by bike and on foot: Fushimi Inari at 7am, Nishiki Market, Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera and an evening walk through Gion.
Road Trip Guide to Exploring Kyushu Island, Japan
A one-week road trip around Kyushu Island from Oita to Fukuoka: Beppu's hells and sand baths, Yufuin, Mount Aso, Kumamoto Castle and Fukuoka's yatai stalls.
