Destinations

Nagoya travel guide for 2026: how to get there, Nagoya Castle, the SCMAGLEV museum, what to eat, and easy day trips.

How to combine Takayama’s old town and Shirakawa-go’s thatched-roof village in one trip from Nagoya or Kanazawa — routes, fares and timing for 2026.

Kanazawa in a nutshell: how to get there on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, Kenrokuen Garden, the Higashi Chaya geisha district, gold leaf and Omicho market.

A resident’s guide to a Kamakura day trip in 2026 — real train fares from Tokyo, which of the four passes is worth buying, Great Buddha and Hase-dera admission, the Enoden crowding problem, and the eating season nobody mentions.

A resident’s guide to a Nikko day trip in 2026 — Tobu vs JR from Tokyo with real fares, which Nikko Pass actually pays for itself, Toshogu and Taiyuin admission, the bus up to Lake Chuzenji, and why October weekends can wreck your timing.

Tokyo hits 34-35C in August. Here are seven genuinely cooler places in Japan — Karuizawa, Oku-Nikko, Kamikochi, Hokkaido and more — with real 2026 travel times, fares and honest advice from a resident.

A resident’s guide to Hiroshima and Miyajima in 2026 — real shinkansen fares, the new Obon reservation-only rule at the Peace Memorial Museum, why the castle keep is now shut, ferry and tide timing for the floating torii, and how to fit it all into one day.

A resident’s guide to a Nara day trip in 2026 — Kintetsu vs JR from Kyoto and Osaka with real fares, Todai-ji admission, how to feed the deer without getting bitten, and the August lantern nights most visitors miss.

A resident’s guide to Hakone in 2026 — the loop route explained, real Hakone Freepass prices, where Mt. Fuji actually appears, onsen etiquette for day visitors, and whether to stay the night.

A resident’s guide to Osaka for first-time visitors in 2026 — how many days to spend, where to stay, how to get in from Kansai Airport, what to eat, and whether the passes are worth it.