Mt. Fuji is the star, but the best part of this day is seeing it from several angles. From Lake Kawaguchi, the mountain rises behind open water. From the Arakurayama Sengen Shrine area, its snowy cone shares the view with a famous red pagoda. At Oshino Hakkai, the focus shifts to clear spring water flowing…
Tokyo’s spiritual side is easiest to miss when you race from shopping streets to observation decks. This private tour slows things down with visits to five historic shrines and one Buddhist temple, linking famous places such as Sensoji and Meiji Shrine with the personal ritual of collecting Goshuin, hand-written calligraphy stamps. I like the private…
Mt. Fuji is the star here, but you never have to climb it. This 8 to 9 hour day tour from Tokyo takes you by coach to a high mountain viewpoint or a famous pagoda park, then on to spring-fed ponds and a flexible stop at Gotemba. I like the easy transport and the mix…
At Bistro Fukumimi, the main event is the grill. Chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, and seafood arrive on skewers, cooked by yakiniku-certified chefs in the warm, noisy style of a Tokyo izakaya. The restaurant also focuses on Wagyu and wine, giving you more than a standard yakitori stop. I like the wide choice of skewers, especially…
Le plus intéressant ici n’est pas seulement Sensoji, que vous pouvez visiter seul. C’est la façon dont cette balade vous montre ce que vos yeux risquent de manquer : les petits sanctuaires, les gestes de purification et la coexistence du shintoïsme et du bouddhisme dans un même quartier. J’aime deux choses en particulier : le…
Tokyo is a city of sharp contrasts, and this private tour puts many of them in one long day: Senso-ji’s old temple streets, Meiji Shrine’s wooded calm, and the neon rush of Shibuya. You ride between districts in a climate-controlled vehicle, which matters when Tokyo’s heat, rain, or crowds begin to wear you down. I…
Mt. Fuji is the star here, but the clever part of this $69 day trip is the mix: a high mountain viewpoint or postcard-famous pagoda view, the clear springs of Oshino Hakkai, then either outlet shopping or a hot spring. You get a lot of Japan in one long day. I like the simple all-in-one…
Mount Fuji is the star, but the best part of this day is seeing it from several very different angles. You’ll climb toward the famous Chureito Pagoda at Arakurayama Sengen Park, peer into the clear spring pools of Oshino Hakkai, and look across Lake Kawaguchi from Oishi Park. I like the variety of scenery and…
Tokyo’s Tsukiji Outer Market is easiest to enjoy when someone else handles the crowds, points out the worthwhile stalls, and explains what you are eating. This two-hour tour begins at Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple, then moves through the market for wagyu, tamagoyaki, teas, beans, dashi, and sake. I like the way the food is built into…
Making soba by hand turns a familiar Japanese meal into a lesson in patience and precision. In this two-hour class near Nippori Station, a soba master shows you how buckwheat flour becomes thin noodles, then cooks the results so you can eat what you made. I like the direct, hands-on format, and I like that…
Insider guides, cultural deep-dives and current-affairs reporting on Tokyo and Japan, written by people who live here and go to the places they write about.