SEARCH RESULTS: 2024
Hakuba Accommodation & Ski Packages
On this page you will find everything you need to book your winter getaway to Hakuba including: — Hakuba Valley Ski Resorts: Everything You Need to Know — Choose & Book Your Accommodation in Hakuba — Hakuba Ski/Snowboard Packages — Book With Us! Nagano’s No.1 Tour & Charter — Japan Rail Deals: Travel Passes & Discount Tickets Based in Nagano and operating all year round, we can arrange accommodation and lift passes in your choice of hotel or an inclusive ski/snowboard package with the option of accommodation, lift passes, meals, ski/snowboard rental, ski/snowboard lessons, transport and tours. Or just looking for private transport to and between the resort? We can […]
Japan Ski/Snowboard FAQs: Which Resort is Best For You?
As one of the world’s premier winter sports destinations, Japan spoils visitors for choice when it comes to fantastic resorts and even better snow. On this page you will find loads of FAQs to help you choose the best resort for you under these headings: — Japan’s Ski Season General FAQs — Nagano & Niigata Resorts General FAQs — Nagano & Niigata Resorts Detailed FAQs — The Other Winter Stuff FAQs — Our Winter Services FAQs — Japan Ski Resorts: Everything You Need to Know Plenty of people will tell you that Japan has the world’s best snow conditions and when you combine that with all the trimmings of skiing […]
The Nagano Lifestyle: ‘Staycation’ or ‘Workcation’ – The New Long-Stay Travel Trend in Japan
If you’ve considered making travel plans over the past year – for many who have been locked in during COVID, this is likely – chances are that you’ve come across two travel trend terms that are likely to play a big part of both domestic and international travel as we move into a post-COVID world. — What are Staycations and Workcations? — Enjoy an Extended ‘Staycation’ or ‘Workcation’ in Nagano Japan —Recommended Long-Term Stay Destinations in Nagano — Best Tours in Nagano Read on for more advice on how to make the best of your long term vacation in Nagano! WHAT ARE ‘STAYCATIONS’ AND ‘WORKCATIONS’? The terms ‘staycation’ and ‘workcation’ […]
The Nagano Lifestyle: City, Town, Village or Resort?
As Japan’s fourth largest prefecture, Nagano covers an expansive area – in total, around 13,500km² – divided into cities, towns and villages. Around 20% of the prefecture is designated as national park with many other regions remaining forested or in a semi-natural state with other or no specific classification. A significant amount of land is allocated for farming, with urban areas and places of higher population density making-up a relatively small amount of the total area. — Life in the City — Small Town Life — Living in a Village — Taking it Slow at a Resort — Best Tours in Nagano — Real Estate and Property in Japan’s Ski […]
The Nagano Lifestyle: 10 Big Reasons to Choose Nagano
Located at the very heart of Japan – in every sense of the word – Nagano is a great place to live, work and invest for many people. With world class nature, fascinating museums, and a slower pace of life, there are numerous reasons for which it may be a better choice than Tokyo or other metropolises for you, at any point in your life or career. — Where is Nagano Prefecture? — 10 Big Reasons to Choose Nagano — Best Tours in Nagano — ‘Staycation’ or ‘Workcation’ – The New Long-Stay Travel Trend — Real Estate & Property in Japan’s Ski Resorts Start reading below to discover the top […]
Japan’s Cherry Blossom Forecast 2025
Blooming throughout Japan each spring, cherry blossoms are cherished for their fleeting beauty, symbolic nature and deep cultural resonance. The exact timing of the bloom varies between years and regions, making the yearly cherry blossom forecast eagerly anticipated. On this page you will find: — Cherry Blossom Forecast 2025 — Cherry Blossom Varieties & How They Bloom — The Importance of ‘Sakura’ & ‘Hanami’ in Japan — Cherry Blossom Tours in Nagano — Cherry Blossom FAQs This page is one of several on which you’ll find everything you need to know about the blossoms, so you can plan and book your spring getaway in Japan including our spring-only cherry blossom […]
Cherry Blossom Varieties & How They Bloom
You might be surprised to learn that there are around 20 varieties of cherry tree in Japan, ranging in appearance, size, color and timing of their bloom. As Japan is a rather long country from North to South, the blooming times of each region will also vary regardless of flower variety, allowing a few months in which cherry blossoms will be visible somewhere in Japan if you seek them out. — The Varieties of Cherry Blossoms — How the Blossoms Bloom — Tours and Charters to View the Blossoms If you are going to come to Japan in Spring, it would be a waste to not seek out some cherry […]
Art Space Japan: Shinkai Makoto
A native of Nagano Prefecture, Shinkai Makoto / 新海 誠 is an Japanese animator, filmmaker and ‘manga’ artist who has risen to fame in recent years, in both Japan and abroad. His 2017 film ‘Your Name’ surpassed Studio Ghibli’s ‘Spirited Away’ as the highest grossing animated film in history, and in doing so, heralded the arrival of an animator whom many see as the heir-apparent to the iconic Miyazaki Hayao. Formative Years Born in the small town of Koumi, Nagano in 1973, Shinkai Makoto describes his childhood as an idyllic upbringing surrounded by nature. As a child, he painted with watercolours and would become lost staring at the clear and […]
Art Space Japan: Miyazaki Hayao & Studio Ghibli
Miyazaki Hayao / 宮崎 駿 is one of the most prominent figures in Japanese popular culture today. Animator, director, manga artist, producer, screenwriter and author, Miyazaki is the co-founder of Studio Ghibli – Japan’s most popular and acclaimed animation studio. As such, Miyazaki’s fame has transcended ‘anime’ and his homeland of Japan and he enjoys global celebrity as one the most legendary figures in Japanese popular culture. This page features the following information about Miyazaki Hayao and Studio Ghibli: — About Miyazaki Hayao — Why is Studio Ghibli so popular in Japan? — Where to experience Studio Ghibli in Japan? — Want to experience Studio Ghibli for yourself? About Miyazaki […]