SEARCH RESULTS: 2024
Sugadaira Kogen Area
Sugadaira Kogen is located just 60 minutes drive from Ueda Station and is home to one of Nagano’s largest ski resorts and highlands sports venues, scenic farms and plenty of accommodation. Hotels and lodges are dotted across the highlands, largely centered around the three areas of the ski resort – Taro, Davos and Pine Beak. Options range for large hotels to small, family-run lodges. As detailed on our Sugadaira Kogen Snow Resort page, the overall ski resort is best-suited to beginner skiers and boarders or anyone looking for a more ‘authentic’ Japanese ski experience away from the crowds of Hakuba and Nozawa Onsen. The area also offers hiking and a […]
Utsukushigahara Kogen Area
Around 70 minutes drive from central Ueda or Matsumoto, Utsukushighara Kogen is a beautiful highland area known for its leisurely walking trails, panoramic views, star-filled night sky and the Utsukushigahara Open-Air Museum. There’s a small amount of accommodation to choose from in the area including a couple of hotels and campgrounds, but it is also possible to reserve accommodation at the bottom of the mountain and drive up for a day trip without much difficulty. If you do make it up to Utsukushigahara Kogen, you will be in for a delightful experience. Seemingly endless green fields, pleasantly cool weather, and lots of cows await you here at an elevation of […]
Hotarutei Villas
Only a few minutes walk from the trailhead leading to the famous Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, Hotarutei Villas is a new and welcome addition to Kanbayashi Onsen. Boasting two luxury villas, each with their own private onsen bath and two bedrooms included, Hotarutei Villas is a great option for families or friend groups traveling together and looking to have their own space. Beyond just the villas, there is also the main hall – a 180 year renovated farmhouse – which contains a Japanese restaurant and a special lounge area for villa guests to use freely. The ski fields of Shiga Kogen, one of the sites of the 1998 Nagano Olympics, […]
Karuizawa: Karuizawa Station Area
One of Japan’s most famous and oldest mountain resort towns, Karuizawa is only 65 to 75-minutes from Tokyo using the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Notably cooler than Tokyo in summer, the town has long attracted Tokyoites looking to escape the heat and humidity, while in winter, its small ski resort and beautiful white landscape attracts just as many visitors. The town is known for its excellent range of hotels and guesthouses, shopping, fine dining, galleries, museums and outdoor attractions including easy access to Mount Asama, Mount Kusatsu-Shirane and the wider Joshinetsu Kogen National Park. Karuizawa is home to numerous hotels and guesthouses including luxury and boutique operators servicing the crowds from Tokyo […]
Kagurazaka Dori and Yokocho
Located just 15 minutes from Shinjuku station, Kagurazaka is one of Tokyo’s traditional yet trendy neighbourhoods with nods to the past steeped in history and culture. Here you will find temples, shrines, traditional architecture and streets, shops and a traditional Japanese garden. Nicknamed as Tokyo’s Little Paris due to the many French style eateries and cobbled streets. It is a fashionable and trendy area with many shopping and dining options. You can enjoy wandering up and down the pretty street of Kagurazaka Dori, the main street lined with an abundance of cafes, restaurants and shops! We highly recommend browsing local crafts here, or even sampling some Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) […]
Kappabashi
Kappabashi is a famous and popular shopping area located in thr heart of Tokyo. Also known as Kitchen Street or Kitchen Town, Kappabashi has a plethora of shops selling all manner of kitchenware and goods. The street is 1km long and is home to over 170 shops! The street lies between two of the most popular areas in Tokyo, Asakusa and Ueno, making it the perfect place to stop off for some shopping and exploration. It is most famous for its kitchenware such as tools, ceramics and knives. You can even see, buy and make the famous Japanese plastic food that you see all over Japan! If you want to […]
Tea Ceremony in Yanaka Old Tokyo
Tucked away in the quaint and historic district of Yanaka is Gallery Okubo, a family run tea house and art shop. Opened in 2015, the tea house was created to celebrate the art galleries 100th anniversary. As you step inside, you will be greeted by the old charm of the building, feeling as if you’ve been transported back in time. The family are extremely kind and professional, and provide a fun and authentic tea ceremony experience to all its customers. You can choose from a basic package of just drinking matcha with wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets), or you can choose the tea ceremony option where you will sit and watch […]
Shibuya Sky
Built in 2019, it is the newest edition to the observatory collection in Tokyo. Therefore, it is the most plush and modern of the bunch! The sleek design of the Tower is now beloved by locals and tourists here in the city, we highly recommend that you pay a visit to this great observatory on your trip! Located in the hot spot of Shibuya, Shibuya Sky is a rival to Tokyo Skytree as being one of the most popular observatories in the city. Standing at 229 meters high, Shibuya Sky was built as part of a wider complex called ’Shibuya Scramble’, named after the famous ’Scramble Crossing’. ’Shibuya Scamble’ is a […]
Shinjuku Historical Museum
If you want to learn all about Shinjuku and its history before it became the neon lit entertainment hub we know today, then paying a visit to the Shinjuku Historical Museum is a great place to visit on your trip to Tokyo! Opened in 1989, the museum retraces the history of Shinjuku since the Palaeolithic period, more than 30,000 years ago. It explains the birth of Shinjuku which took its name in 1698. The museum is divided into 5 main parts ; the archaeology of Shinjuku, Medieval Shinjuku, Shinjuku during the Edo and Meiji periods, Shinjuku and modern literature and Shinjuku during the Showa period. The museum is located approximately […]