Japanese culture is part of the attraction for travellers, but at times it can feel like there’s a lot to learn — here’s how to navigate local etiquette.

Making a creaking sound, the wooden entrance door opens, and Sumie Tamura is standing there with a friendly smile. "Irashaimase" - welcome - she says while bowing gracefully to greet me. Her ...

Ginzan Onsen, a popular Japanese hot spring town known for its scenic snowy views, has begun limiting entry to day trippers during winter peak season, becoming another destination to tackle ...

For many years after I experienced my first Japanese onsen, or public bath, and whenever I was in Japan on my annual trip, I found myself playing a variation of that game recommended to nervous public ...

After six previous trips exploring Japan’s more well-trodden regions like Kansai and Kanto, I was ready to see a different side of the country. During my latest visit, I finally made my way to Kyushu, ...

The 41-year-old is talking about the town of Ginzan Onsen, a popular winter destination in Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture. For Nakata, the importance of the region goes beyond beauty. He’s brought us ...

Singaporeans love Japan so much that a record-breaking number of 691,100 Singaporeans visited the land of the rising sun in 2024, with almost one-fifth of them visiting last December alone. While the ...

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Two things can be true at once — and in Japan they usually are. It’s a land of contradictions and, thanks to this and its reputation ...