From the Journal

Journal

Guides, itineraries, and field notes from our travel designers.

Featured

Editor's picks

Itineraries

Calm 7–10 Day Luxury Japan Itinerary: Tokyo, Kyoto & Onsen

Seasons

Ultra-Luxury Cherry Blossom Trip to Japan, Spring 2027: The 9-Day Bespoke Itinerary

Seasons

5 Rare Japan Gems to Explore This June 2026

Nature

Amami Ōshima Luxury: UNESCO Island Retreats

Wellness

August 29, 2026 · 13 min read

Twenty-Two Kilometres to One Tree

Ten hours on foot, no private vehicles for nine months of the year, and bus tickets that must be bought before you arrive. Yakushima, honestly.

The Private-Chalet Niseko Ski Trip: Chef and Concierge

Dining

August 29, 2026 · 11 min readHokkaido

The Private-Chalet Niseko Ski Trip: Chef and Concierge

A fully staffed chalet in Niseko — private chef, housekeeping, ski concierge. What's included, what groups fit, and when to book.

Okinawa in the Shoulder Seasons: Two Narrow Windows

Nature

August 29, 2026 · 15 min read

Okinawa in the Shoulder Seasons: Two Narrow Windows

Okinawa's best weeks sit either side of the rains and the typhoons. What each window offers, and what the season costs you.

A Kingdom Until 1879: Okinawa and the Islands

Nature

August 29, 2026 · 15 min read

A Kingdom Until 1879: Okinawa and the Islands

Okinawa was a separate kingdom for 450 years, and Shuri Castle's main hall opens again on 23 November 2026. The islands, and how they connect—sequenced by those who know the difference.

Walking the Kumano Kodo: Which Sections, and How

Wellness

August 29, 2026 · 13 min read

Walking the Kumano Kodo: Which Sections, and How

A thousand-year-old pilgrimage route, walked in selected sections with support. Which parts are worth the day, and what the accommodation is really like.

Hokkaido in Summer: The One Comfortable Season in Japan

Nature

August 29, 2026 · 9 min readHokkaido

Hokkaido in Summer: The One Comfortable Season in Japan

While the mainland is hot and wet, Hokkaido is dry and cool. What to see, how far apart it all is, and why you drive.

Beniya Mukayu, Kaga: A Stay Guide and Sold-Out Options

Dining

August 29, 2026 · 10 min read

Beniya Mukayu, Kaga: A Stay Guide and Sold-Out Options

Seventeen rooms in Yamashiro Onsen, and a calendar that fills months ahead. Inside Beniya Mukayu, and the alternatives when your dates are gone.

Experiences

August 28, 2026 · 14 min readOsaka

Before Six: USJ Halloween for Families

One ticket, two events, one boundary. What USJ's Halloween is before six o'clock, and why families should be out before seven.

The Island That Vanished: Dejima, Nagasaki

Nature

August 28, 2026 · 11 min read

The Island That Vanished: Dejima, Nagasaki

Japan's entire contact with Europe ran through a fan-shaped island of 15,000 square metres. It disappeared by 1904, and is still being rebuilt.

Yakushima for Private Travellers: Access, Forest, Timing

Stays

August 27, 2026 · 10 min read

Yakushima for Private Travellers: Access, Forest, Timing

Cedars older than most nations, on an island that rains most days. How Yakushima access works, when to go, and what a private visit involves.

Where to Stay in Kyoto: A Neighbourhood Comparison

Stays

August 27, 2026 · 11 min readKyoto

Where to Stay in Kyoto: A Neighbourhood Comparison

Kyoto's districts differ more than Tokyo's. What each is for, what it costs you, and who should choose which.

The Tokyo Evening: What the City Is For After Dark

Transport

August 27, 2026 · 11 min readTokyo

The Tokyo Evening: What the City Is For After Dark

Galleries, dinner, bars, and the late hours. How a Tokyo night is layered, and how to build one that isn't just a meal.

Nature

August 27, 2026 · 13 min readTokyo

One Tree Decides: Tokyo in Blossom

Tokyo's season is declared from a single tree at Yasukuni. And the blossom is on a moat and a drainage river, not in gardens.

Tohoku in Autumn: Where the Colour Arrives First

Wellness

August 27, 2026 · 10 min readKyoto

Tohoku in Autumn: Where the Colour Arrives First

Tohoku turns weeks before Kyoto, and its mountains turn weeks before its cities. Where to base, and when each part of the region peaks.

Behind the Gate: Osaka Castle in Blossom

Nature

August 27, 2026 · 13 min readOsaka

Behind the Gate: Osaka Castle in Blossom

Osaka Castle’s cherry season is declared from a standard tree inside Nishinomaru Garden. Learn how to time the nighter, avoid crowds, and catch the brief sumo overlap.

Omizutori: How to Be There Without Being a Problem

Culture

August 27, 2026 · 12 min readShimoda & Izu

Omizutori: How to Be There Without Being a Problem

A 1,250-year-old Buddhist rite in Nara, held every March. What actually happens, which nights differ, and how to attend properly.

Transport

August 27, 2026 · 14 min readKyoto

Sleep in Nagoya, Wake in Kyoto

Kyoto is thirty-three minutes away and costs a fraction to sleep in. What a Nagoya base gives you in March, and where it breaks.

The Kyushu Onsen Circuit: Beppu, Kurokawa, and Unzen

Wellness

August 27, 2026 · 17 min read

The Kyushu Onsen Circuit: Beppu, Kurokawa, and Unzen

Three onsen towns on one island, connected by road. What each is for, how they route together, and who should skip one.

Gero, Dōgo, or Kinosaki: Three Kinds of Onsen Town

Wellness

August 27, 2026 · 11 min read

Gero, Dōgo, or Kinosaki: Three Kinds of Onsen Town

Not all hot-spring towns offer the same stay. What each of these three is actually like, and which suits the trip you're building.

Fukuoka Blooms Twice: February and March

Nature

August 27, 2026 · 10 min readTokyo

Fukuoka Blooms Twice: February and March

Kagoshima often flowers after Tokyo, and the front is not a line. Why Fukuoka's season starts in February and again in March.

Art

August 26, 2026 · 11 min read

Thread Without Twist: Yuki Tsumugi

Silk spun without twist, patterns tied by hand over six months, woven on a loom strung to the weaver's body. Ibaraki's UNESCO cloth.

Art

August 26, 2026 · 11 min readTokyo

An Edo Day in Tokyo

The castle grounds close Mondays and Fridays, and everything shuts by half past four. How to build a Tokugawa day in Tokyo that works.

Unbroken Since 752: Omizutori at Tōdai-ji

Art

August 26, 2026 · 11 min readShimoda & Izu

Unbroken Since 752: Omizutori at Tōdai-ji

The rite has run 1,275 times without a break, and the part it is named for cannot be watched. What is actually visible in March at Nigatsu-dō.

Older Than Kyoto: The Forest at Shimogamo

Nature

August 26, 2026 · 11 min readKyoto

Older Than Kyoto: The Forest at Shimogamo

Tadasu no Mori is a fortieth of its former size and still holds vegetation from before the capital existed. Spring at Shimogamo.

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