Stories
Nakasendo Trail: Which Section Should You Walk?
Magome–Tsumago in a day, the deeper Kiso Valley in two, or five days on the Ontake Kodo pilgrim road? An honest guide to choosing your Nakasendo walk.
Heartland Japan
The Kyoto Isshu Trail: Best Day Sections (and When You’ll Want a Guide)
Kyoto's Isshu Trail circles the city through silent hills most visitors never see. Our guide to the best day sections — and when a guide helps.
Heartland Japan
Japan in Winter, Beyond the Ski Resorts
Snowshoe silent forests, soak in snowbound onsen villages, and walk on drift ice: five ways to experience Japan's winter without ever clipping into skis.
Heartland Japan
Kumano Kodo Iseji vs Nakahechi: Which Pilgrimage Route Is Right for You?
Two UNESCO pilgrimage routes, two very different journeys. An honest comparison of the crowded Nakahechi and the quiet coastal Iseji — from a team that walks both.
Heartland Japan
Setouchi Island Hopping: Beyond Naoshima
Naoshima is only the beginning. An honest guide to the Seto Inland Sea's quieter islands, cat villages, and cycling routes — and three ways to explore them.
Heartland Japan
Hidden Gems Near Hiroshima: Hagi, Tsuwano and the Quiet Side of Western Japan
Most visitors see Hiroshima in a day. Just beyond lie Hagi and Tsuwano — two of Japan's best-preserved castle towns. A local guide to going deeper.
Heartland Japan
Walking Japan’s Historic Saba Kaido from Obama to Kyoto
Retracing the ancient Mackerel Highway on foot — two clear spring days from the port town of Obama, over Onyu Pass, through thatched-roof hamlets and highland moors, to Kyoto.
Joshua Bewig
Japan’s Winter Snow Activities—It’s Not All Skiing
Japan is known as a premier winter destination for skii […]
Amy Chavez
Walking Kyoto’s Circuit Trail: The Fushimi–Fukakusa Route
Many heading south from Kyoto notice the castle poking […]
Edward J. Taylor
Into the Sacred Flames of Kumano: A 74-Year-Old Traveler’s Oto Matsuri Journey
A winter snowstorm was blowing as I was waiting at the […]
Paul Charlton