Stories & lists

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Travel stories, curated lists, and honest takes on Japan — from someone who keeps going back.

Koyasan, Japan: what a night in a Buddhist temple is actually like
Experience

Koyasan, Japan: what a night in a Buddhist temple is actually like

One night on Koyasan — what a shukubo temple stay actually involves: the goma fire ceremony, shojin ryori dinner, and Okunoin cemetery at dusk.

9 min read
Tokyo sushi omakase — chef plating nigiri at a counter, single piece on a wooden board
List

Best Sushi Omakase in Tokyo

Six verified Tokyo sushi omakase counters: Sushi Saito (3-Michelin closed-list), Sushi Yoshitake (2-Michelin Ginza, demoted from 3 in 2024), Sushi Kyubey (1935 institution), Sushi Itsumi (1-Michelin Akasaka), Harezushi (¥6,000 lunch). Plus the omakase explainer + lunch-tier strategy.

9 min read
Tokyo street food — Tsukiji morning market, Ameyoko alley at dusk, depachika basement
List

Tokyo Street Food

Six Tokyo street-food walks: Tsukiji Outer Market at 07:00, Asakusa Nakamise-dori, Ameya-Yokocho (Ueno), Yanaka Ginza shotengai, Tsukishima Monja Street, and the depachika (department-store food halls). Cash, timing, no-eating-while-walking.

9 min read
Osaka food guide — Dotonbori neon, takoyaki griddle, kushikatsu skewers, Kuromon market
List

Where to Eat in Osaka

The full Osaka food guide: takoyaki (Aizuya 1933 original), okonomiyaki (Mizuno Dotonbori), kushikatsu (Daruma Shinsekai), Kuromon Market, Osaka sushi tradition, and kappo counter-kaiseki — at half Tokyo / Kyoto prices.

8 min read
Kyoto Michelin restaurants — kaiseki tatami room with seasonal courses, garden view
List

Michelin Star Restaurants in Kyoto

Seven verified Kyoto Michelin restaurants from Japan's most kaiseki-dense guide: 3-star (Hyotei, Kikunoi Honten, Kitcho Arashiyama), 2-star (Roan Kikunoi, Gion Sasaki), 1-star Gion sushi + tempura. Plus Bib Gourmand and concierge booking guide.

9 min read
Tokyo Michelin restaurants — sushi counter, kaiseki tatami, French open kitchen, yakitori grill
List

Michelin Star Restaurants in Tokyo

Eight verified Tokyo Michelin restaurants across 3-star (Sushi Saito, Ryugin, Quintessence), 2-star (Tempura Kondo, Den), and 1-star (Birdland, Torishiki, Nakiryu, Tsuta). Plus Bib Gourmand under ¥6,000 and how to actually book.

10 min read
Tokyo yakitori — chicken skewers over charcoal, counter omakase
List

The Best Yakitori in Tokyo

Five verified Tokyo yakitori counters: Birdland Ginza (1 Michelin), Torishiki Meguro (1 Michelin), Toriki (the master's house), Yakitori Imai (modern), Torikizoku (¥328 chain). Plus the omakase-ordering 101 — chicken parts, tare vs shio, the order of the meal.

7 min read
Tokyo izakaya — counter drinks, sashimi platter, yakitori smoke, yokocho alley
List

The Best Izakaya in Tokyo

Four verified Tokyo izakayas: Andy's Shin Hinomoto (Yurakucho expat-friendly), Donzoko (Shinjuku 1951 institution), Buri (Ebisu sake nerds), Motsuyaki Ucchan (Shibuya offal skewers). Plus a yokocho walking guide for Omoide, Golden Gai, Ebisu Yokocho.

8 min read
Kyoto kaiseki — Hyotei, Kikunoi, Kitcho Arashiyama tatami room with seasonal dishes
List

The Best Kaiseki in Kyoto

Five Michelin-grade kaiseki tables in Kyoto: Hyotei (3-star, 400 years), Kikunoi Honten (3-star, Yoshihiro Murata), Roan Kikunoi (2-star Pontocho), Kitcho Arashiyama (3-star riverside), Gion Sasaki (2-star modern). Plus the lunch-tier trick that halves the price.

7 min read
Five cheap Japanese chain restaurants — gyudon, udon, conveyor sushi, Italian
List

The 5 Cheapest Chain Restaurants in Japan

Five Japanese chains in the genuine ¥300–¥500 tier: Matsuya breakfast, Yoshinoya gyudon, Marugame Seimen udon, Kura Sushi conveyor, and the Saizeriya wildcard. Plus the ticket-machine survival guide.

7 min read
Tokyo ramen — tsukemen, shio, tantanmen across six neighbourhoods
List

Best Ramen in Tokyo

Six Tokyo ramen picks across three tiers: Fuunji (best tsukemen), Afuri (yuzu shio), Nakiryu (Michelin tantanmen), Tsuta (world's first Michelin ramen), Rokurinsha (Tokyo Station), and an honest Ichiran vs Ippudo answer.

9 min read
Tokyo sushi — counter, omakase, fresh fish
List

Best Sushi in Tokyo

Six Tokyo sushi picks across three tiers: standing-bar Sushichou, Sushi Itsumi (Akasaka omakase), Kyubey (Ginza institution), Sushi Saito (3-Michelin), Harezushi, and Tsukiji morning shops.

5 min read
Kyoto food — kaiseki, yudofu, machiya
List

Where to Eat in Kyoto

Verified Kyoto food guide: Kikunoi + Hyotei kaiseki, Tousuiro yudofu, Pontocho obanzai, Daiichi Asahi ramen, Nishiki Market, Inoda Coffee. Reservation tips + how to eat the city.

6 min read
Tokyo food — ramen counter, yakitori smoke, sushi conveyor
List

Where to Eat in Tokyo

Verified Tokyo food guide across 8 cuisines + 4 chains + 5 neighbourhoods. From Fuunji tsukemen to Tempura Kondo, Sukiya gyudon to depachika bento. Every queue avoided.

9 min read
Bowl of Fuji Ramen Masterpiece tonkotsu — pale silky broth, shredded cabbage, chashu, marinated egg, nori
List

The Best Ramen in Asakusa

Five Asakusa ramen shops worth queuing for: Fuji Ramen (author's pick), Yoroiya, Yukikage, Hayashida, Bibi. Addresses, hours, what to order. Skip Nakamise.

6 min read
Mountain mist over a traditional Japanese village
List

10 Hidden-Gem Destinations in Japan Worth the Detour

Past Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima — the cities and towns most travellers miss, ranked by how often I'd actually return.

2 min read
Forest temple steps surrounded by autumn maple foliage in red and gold
Experience

Autumn in Kansai: Three Days, One Sunrise, Forty-Two Maple Trees

Three days chasing the maple peak through Kyoto and Nara — and the lesson that the official forecast is two days late, every year.

3 min read
Cherry blossoms over a traditional Japanese garden
List

Where to Go in Japan in 2026: An Opinionated List

Five places that are noticeably better in 2026 than they were three years ago — and three that are now worth deliberately skipping.

3 min read
Illuminated Tokyo Skytree above Asakusa rooftops
Experience

A Year of Japan: What I Learned in 12 Months of Trips

Three trips, fourteen prefectures, two reservations I wish I'd cancelled, and the one thing I'll book differently next year.

3 min read