Raina Ong

Staff Writer, Editor

Raina is a writer for japan-guide.com. She grew up in Singapore and lived in Australia before moving to Japan in 2007 where she got trapped. Food is never far from her mind and she loves checking out restaurants across the country. After conquering all 47 prefectures, her current goal is to visit as many islands and peninsulas in Japan.

Most recent posts

Echigo Tsumari Art Triennale 2024

Taking place in the relatively large Echigo Tsumari region in southern Niigata Prefecture, the Echigo Tsumari Art Field is an art festival that is held once every three years. The first Echigo Tsumari Art Triennale...
By Raina Ong·

Yebisu beer brewery reopened in Tokyo

The Yebisu Brewery Tokyo opened to the public on April 3, 2024. Formerly the Yebisu Beer Museum, which closed in October 2022 for renovations, the renewed facility now contains a museum, an on-site brewery, a taproom...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Sapporo Report

Today we bring to you our final sakura report for 2024 from Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido. The opening of the first blossoms in Sapporo were announced on April 18 - the second earliest reported opening since...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Hakodate Report

Moving northwards from Hirosaki, where I was yesterday, I crossed the sea over to Hakodate in Hokkaido to bring you our penultimate cherry blossom report. The cherry blossom season in southern and western Hokkaido is...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Hirosaki Report

The second half of April is typically when the cherry blossom season peaks in the north, especially in the Tohoku Region. Today, I visited Hirosaki, specifically Hirosaki Park, three days after Matt was here last...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Mount Myogi Report

It has been almost a month since we began our cherry blossom reporting, starting with the first couple of reports in Tokyo on March 18 and Kyoto on March 20, when the blossoms were still closed. The cherry blossoms in...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Mount Fuji Report

Today I went to the Fuji Five Lakes region to check out the state of the blossoms at some of the popular cherry blossom spots in the area specifically around the Lake Kawaguchiko area and at Oshino Hakkai. The region...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Tokyo Report

Full bloom in Tokyo was officially announced on April 4, and the weekend that passed was one of the best times for cherry blossom viewing parties. Five days since my last report in Tokyo and after yesterday’s heavy...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Tokyo Report

In a short three days since the last time Matt visited Tokyo on April 1, when there were scant open blossoms, full bloom was declared in Tokyo yesterday, April 4. Today, I visited three epopular cherry blossom spots...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Nagoya Report

We are now in the best viewing period of the cherry blossom season, specifically for cities that announced the opening of their first blossoms (kaika) at the end of March. Full bloom was officially announced in Tokyo...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Kyoto Report

It has been about a week since the opening of the first blossoms were announced in western Japan and Tokyo. The cherry blossom season is currently at best viewing in cities in Kyushu like Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Saga and...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Matsuyama Report

Continuing our cherry blossom reporting, I visited Matsuyama in Shikoku today. The city reported the opening of its first blossoms on March 27, and I observed that many of the cherry blossoms were still closed seven...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Kyoto Report

It has been two days since the opening of the first blossoms was announced in Kyoto on March 29, and today, I revisited Kyoto to check on the progress of the cherry blossoms. Despite the relatively few open blossoms,...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Osaka Report

This year’s cherry blossom season started slow and a little later compared to the average year, due to the below-average temperatures for a large proportion of March. However, the temperatures since Friday have been...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Kumamoto Report

After several days of cooler than average temperatures in the last seven days, today’s warm weather provided the much needed heat for the buds to open. Tokyo and Kyoto both announced the opening of their first...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Fukuoka Report

The opening of the first blossoms in Fukuoka was announced on March 27, and I visited the city today, one day after the official announcement. Judging from the minuscule number of open mainstream Somei Yoshino...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Kyoto Report

This year we started our cherry blossom reporting on March 18, when Schauwecker reported that the blossoms in Tokyo were still closed. I visited Tokyo two days ago to find that the blossoms were still closed, one week...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2024: Tokyo Report

Today, I visited Tokyo to check the state of the blossoms. It has been a week since Schauwecker kicked off this year’s sakura reporting with two reports in Tokyo and Kyoto on March 18 and 19 respectively, and reported...
By Raina Ong·

teamLab Borderless newly opened in central Tokyo

Formerly in Odaiba, the popular teamLab Borderless digital art museum has found its new permanent home in the recently opened Azabudai Hills in central Tokyo. The digital art museum opened it doors to the public on...
By Raina Ong·

Travel Highlights 2023

In 2023, my travel was focused on Honshu, the main island of Japan. Aomori in Aomori Prefecture was the northernmost city I visited, while Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture was the furthest west I ventured. All in all, I...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2023: Tokyo Report

Almost three months from our very first autumn color report from Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido, today’s Tokyo report will be our last koyo report for 2023. Over the three months, we visited some popular fall color spots in...
By Raina Ong·

Japan’s new tallest building opens in Tokyo

Azabudai Hills, a mixed-use commercial and residential complex in central Tokyo, opened on November 24, 2023. The sprawling complex consists of three towers - one office tower and two residential towers - and smaller...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2023: Kyoto Report

After weeks of warmer temperatures, the mercury dipped slightly over the last few days, and it now feels like we’re in the full swing of autumn heading towards winter. Since September 15, we have been reporting on the...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2023: Mount Fuji Report

Following our Tokyo report earlier this week, today we headed to the Fuji Five Lakes region to see how the autumn colors have progressed. Located at the northern base of Mount Fuji and at approximately 1000 meters...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2023: Tokyo Report

Since our last autumn color report from Kyoto at the end of October, we kick off November’s reports with a first one from Tokyo. Similar to Kyoto, the trees in the metropolis typically start changing their colors from...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2023: Kyoto Report

After a number of reports from Hokkaido and other popular autumn color spots at higher elevations, today we visit Kyoto to check out the autumn colors for the first time this season. In major cities like Kyoto, Osaka...
By Raina Ong·

Japan Mobility Show 2023

After a hiatus of three years the biennial automotive event, the Japan Mobility Show, will be held from October 28 till November 5, 2023 at the Tokyo Big Sight in Odaiba. Formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show, which...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2023: Nikko Report

Nikko and Okunikko are two areas in Nikko National Park, which is located two hours north of Tokyo in Tochigi Prefecture. The areas have an elevation range of about 2000 meters, which means the autumn colors in the...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2023: Alpine Route Report

After two autumn color reports from Daisetsuzan, which is the first place in Japan to see autumn colors, in Hokkaido, today’s report is from the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, a popular route to see panoramic views and...
By Raina Ong·

Toranomon Hills completed in central Tokyo

With a vision to create a new global business hub in the center of Tokyo, the Mori Building company has recently completed the Toranomon Hills complex in the Toranomon district. From small and aging buildings, the...
By Raina Ong·

Hokusai art and chestnuts in Obuse

Only 30 minutes by train from either Nagano City or the popular snow monkeys of Yamanouchi is the the quiet town of Obuse. Relatively unknown and unexplored by foreign tourists compared to its more famous neighbors,...
By Raina Ong·

Jogashima Island

Tucked away at the tip of the Miura Peninsula, which is between Kamakura and Yokohama, are two of Kanagawa Prefecture’s best kept secrets: Jogashima Island and Misaki Port. Separated by approximately 300 meters of...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2023: Mount Fuji Report

The main cherry blossom season has ended in southern, western and eastern Japan with scant blossoms remaining on the mainstream Somei Yoshino cherry trees. The sakura front line has now moved to the Tohoku Region,...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2023: Kyoto Report

Four days into April, the best viewing of the main cherry blossom season in most cities has passed and the cherry blossom front line has moved towards the northeastern region of Japan. Those who want to see the cherry...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2023: Yoshino Report

The peak of the cherry blossom season has passed in many major cities like Tokyo in eastern Japan and Osaka in western Japan, and there are not many days left to see the sakura. The cherry blossom front line is moving...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2023: Osaka Report

The peak of the season has passed in a number of cities from Fukuoka to Tokyo, and other cities like Osaka and Kyoto are reaching the end of their best viewing period. As the season ends in central Japan, the front...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2023: Kanazawa Report

The cherry blossom season has been underway for just over two weeks now since the opening of the first blossoms was reported in Tokyo on March 14. While the peak of the season has passed in Tokyo, the petals have only...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2023: Kyoto Report

This year’s cherry blossom season has on the whole been earlier compared to the average year. The cherry blossom front line has now reached the Tohoku Region, with Sendai and Yamagata reporting the opening of their...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2023: Tokyo Report

Full bloom was announced in Tokyo today, making it the second earliest year on record to reach full bloom status. While the Tokyo’s representative tree reached full bloom, the popular cherry blossom spots in Tokyo I...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2023: Tokyo Report

It was announced that the first blossoms opened in Tokyo on March 14, kicking off the cherry blossom season in the capital. This early start marks one of the earliest sakura openings ever since the meteorological...
By Raina Ong·

Aomori Fish Market

Furukawa Market is a fish market in central Aomori City where tourists can put together their own seafood rice bowls...
By Raina Ong·

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine is best known for its huge number of torii gates that cover the trails behind the shrine’s main grounds.
By Raina Ong·

Travel Highlights 2020

2020 has been a pretty crazy year, I'm sure it was for everyone of us. The pandemic caught everyone by surprise and many of us had to halt and scrap our travel plans, myself included. However, the year still flew by,...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2020: Kyoto Report

The autumn colors in major cities like Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo are typically at their peak in the last weekend of November. I was in Tokyo yesterday and reported that the colors were at their best viewing albeit...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2020: Tokyo Report

The autumn color season is now at their best viewing in many cities on the main island of Honshu, and Joe reported that the colors in Tokyo were approaching their peak when he was there nine days ago. Today, I visited...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2020: Kyoto Report

As we head into mid November, the autumn colors have started moving down towards the major cities on the main island of Japan. Matt was in Tokyo two days ago and reported that the colors were just starting to change....
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2020: Karuizawa Report

The temperatures across Japan over the last few weeks have been cooler than the average year, which has resulted in the season picking up its pace. Schauwecker and Joe were in Mount Fuji and Naruko respectively at the...
By Raina Ong·

Art and cafes in Nasu, about an hour from Nikko

Tochigi Prefecture has a number of high profile attractions, the most popular one being Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine, followed by eating gyoza in the prefectural capital of Utsunomiya. Ceramics is also one of the highlights...
By Raina Ong·

Travel restarting: Tokyo

With the easing of travel restrictions and reopening of many tourist places, I went to check out the situation at some of Tokyo’s popular sightseeing spots.
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2020: Tokyo Report

This year’s cherry blossom (sakura) season in Tokyo started on March 14, a week earlier compared to last year and almost two weeks earlier than the average year. Warmer than average temperatures can be attributed for...
By Raina Ong·

Tokyo Dreaming

When visiting a different country, some travelers want to experience what is like to live like a local, even for a day, in addition to taking in all the sightseeing spots. In this edition of Chotto Zeitaku, I visited...
By Raina Ong·

Notsuke Peninsula

Winter in Hokkaido is in a class of its own. The vast snow covered landscape, icy cold temperatures, drift ice and frozen water bodies, these are scenes that are uniquely Hokkaido. In my quest for unique and remote...
By Raina Ong·

Island Paradise in Okinawa

Okinawa Prefecture is Japan’s southernmost prefecture and made up of many islands. Its subtropical climate - summer temperatures ranging between 25 to 33 degrees Celsius and winter daytime temperatures ranging from 15...
By Raina Ong·

Travel Highlights 2019

2019 whizzed by in a blur for me, and it’s been a year filled with lots and lots of travel. I visited 26 out of the 47 prefectures in Japan and had almost the same number of international flights. As with previous...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2019: Tokyo Report

Today, I was in Tokyo for our final autumn color report for 2019. To recap this year’s season, we started our reporting all the way back in mid September in Daisetsuzan when the colors were at their peak. The warmer...
By Raina Ong·

Shopping at Shibuya Fukuras and Parco

Shibuya is a well known tourist destination, and it is home to iconic Tokyo landmarks like the Shibuya Scramble Crossing and the Hachiko dog statue outside Shibuya Station. There have been ongoing renovations in the...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2019: Kyoto Report

Warmer temperatures were recorded over the last few months across Japan, and that contributed to the slow start and slight delay to the autumn color season, while the typhoon and heavy rains in the last month caused...
By Raina Ong·

46th Tokyo Motor Show

The 46th Tokyo Motor Show 2019 is open to the public from October 24 till November 4. This year, the title and theme of the biennial car event is Open Future, and that was reflected in the style of the numerous new...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2019: Oze Report

Slowly but surely, the autumn color season is descending from mountain tops to the highlands. It seems that the warmer than average temperatures over the last couple of months have slightly delayed the changing colors...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2019: Route 292 Report

Today, I went for a drive on a section of the National Route 292, starting in Nagano, not far from the hot spring town of Yudanaka Onsen, to Kusatsu Onsen, one of the best onsen towns in Japan. My drive started at...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2019: Alpine Route Report

Today, I visited the popular Alpine Route to check out the autumn colours (koyo) from 1400-2450 meters above sea level. I started at Murodo, at 2450 meters, and found that the colours there were approaching peak. The...
By Raina Ong·

A surfer’s paradise in Ichinomiya

Summer is never complete without a trip to the beach, and this summer, I went to the Kujukurihama Coast on the eastern side of the Boso Peninsula. Specifically, I visited Ichinomiya Beach and Tsurigasaki Beach where...
By Raina Ong·

A day out in Karuizawa

Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture is a popular resort area, a place where locals from the surrounding prefectures like Tokyo and Saitama go for a short break to enjoy highlands, shopping and dining. Karuizawa is also...
By Raina Ong·

Travel outdoors in Nagano

Nagano Prefecture is one of Japan’s eight inland prefectures whose land mass does not meet the sea or ocean. In place of the very large bodies of water, about 80 percent of the prefecture is covered by mountains. In...
By Raina Ong·

Travel in Tendo, Yamagata

According to a census carried out in 2018, Yamagata Prefecture ranked 30 out of the 47 prefectures in Japan in terms of appealing to domestic travellers with its attractiveness and charm. That is to say, Yamagata...
By Raina Ong·

Old and New in Kiyosumi Shirakawa

Kiyosumi Shirakawa is a district east of Tokyo Station across the Sumida River and bound by water on the other sides. The area retains a lot of its shitamachi, old town charm, and these days has also gained the...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Kyoto Report

It has been five days since full bloom was reported in Kyoto, and today, I headed back to the old capital to see how the cherry blossoms were holding up. Yesterday’s all-day rain did not do as much damage as I had...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Osaka Report

Cold and wet weather today in most of the country, and Osaka, where I was today, was no exception. Full bloom was reported in Osaka on April 4, 2019, and I judged that we have entered the beginning of the end of...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Yoshino Report

Today I visited Mount Yoshinoyama to check out how the cherry trees have fare since our last visit. Yoshinoyama has thousands of cherry trees planted on its slopes, and is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Kyoto Report

We are now in the second week of April, and the cherry blossom frontline has reached the Tohoku Region where Fukushima and Sendai reported the opening of their first blossoms on April 5, 2019. Majority of the cities...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Kanazawa Report

Sakura season in Kanazawa started officially on April 1, 2019 when the first blossoms opened. Today, I headed to Kanazawa four days after kaika to see how far the flowers at two of the popular cherry blossom spots in...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Takamatsu Report

This week, many cities that started their cherry blossom season at the end of March have entered their best viewing period and are finally reaching full bloom. A cold front at the end of last week till the beginning...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Matsuyama Report

It has been over a week since the opening of the first blossoms were reported in cities from Kyushu to the Kanto Region. Many of the cherry blossom spots in these cities are already at their best viewing, while a...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Hiroshima Report

The opening of the first blossoms in Hiroshima were officially reported on March 22, 2019. I revisited the city and Miyajima today, eleven days after kaika and five days after our last report, and I am pleased to...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Iwakuni Report

Iwakuni is a small city in southeast Yamaguchi Prefecture that is most famous for Kintaikyo Bridge, one of the top three famous bridges in the country. The area around the bridge together with the nearby Kikko Park is...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Osaka Report

Today, I head to Osaka for our first cherry blossom report from the city this season. The opening of the first blossoms was officially announced in Osaka on March 27, 2019, more or less on par to the average year. I...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Kyoto Report

The cherry blossom season in Kyoto kicked off when the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) was reported officially on March 27. Today, I visited some of the popular cherry blossom spots in Kyoto to see how the...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Nagoya Report

We’ve now entered the end of the first week of the cherry blossom season. The earliest major cities to report the opening of their first blossoms (kaika) were Tokyo and Fukuoka on March 21 and Nagoya on March 22....
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Kyoto Report

The cherry blossom season officially started in Kyoto and Osaka with the announcement of the opening of their first blossoms yesterday, March 27, 2019. Kobe which is also in the Kansai Region also announced the start...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2019: Kyoto Report

Today, I headed to Kyoto for our first cherry blossom report from the Kansai Region. While the start to the cherry blossom season in Tokyo was officially reported on March 21, Kyoto and Osaka have not reported the...
By Raina Ong·

Moominvalley Park opens near Tokyo

The Moomins are characters in a series of Scandinavian children’s stories written by Tove Jansson. There are many characters through the series, and the central ones are Moomintroll, Moominpappa and Moominmamma and...
By Raina Ong·

Travel along the coast of Shizuoka

In this episode of Solo Female Travel, I head to Shizuoka Prefecture which is about 60 minutes away from either Tokyo or Nagoya. Its convenient location makes it a great spot for first time solo travellers who do not...
By Raina Ong·

Awajishima Island

Legend has it that back when the Japanese Shinto gods Izanaginomikoto and Izanaminomikoto were in the process of creating Japan, they first created the island now known as Awajishima before creating the rest of Japan....
By Raina Ong·

2018 Travel Highlights

In 2018, I visited 28 out of the 47 prefectures in Japan and even managed to cover the islands at the ends of Japan, Hokkaido and Okinawa. Of the 28 prefectures, there were a number of new spots which quickly became...
By Raina Ong·

International Hiroo in central Tokyo

Hiroo is a quiet and upscale neighbourhood nestled among the other glitzy and well known neighbourhoods of Roppongi, Shibuya, Ebisu and Shinagawa. The district is known for having a high concentration of embassies and...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Tokyo Report

Today, we bring you our last autumn color report for 2018, almost 11 weeks after our first report from Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido. This year, the autumn colors started off slowly due to the slightly higher temperatures...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Kyoto Report

Late November is typically the period when the cities in eastern through to western Japan reach their peak. Today, the last Monday of November, I headed into central Kyoto to check on the autumn colors in the city. I...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Osaka Report

We continue our reporting in the Kansai Region in Osaka. Over the last two days, we reported that the autumn colors in Kyoto and Kanazawa were at their peak. Today, I visited Minoo Park, a popular autumn color spot...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Kanazawa Report

As we are nearing the end of November, many of the cities are reaching their peak autumn colors. Today, I visited Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa to see how the autumn colors were faring in one of Japan’s top three most...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Kyoto Report

The autumn color season is well underway across Honshu, the main island of Japan. I reported that the colors at Miyajima not far from Hiroshima was at its peak three days ago, while Schauwecker reported that Kyoto was...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Miyajima Report

Today we’re back in the Kansai Region with Schauwecker in Nara where he reported that the autumn colors are at their peak, while I head further west to Miyajima not far from Hiroshima in the Chugoku Region. I am...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Kyoto Report

We are now in the middle of the November and the autumn colors can now be seen in the major cities in the Kanto and Kansai regions. The colors are still on their way to their best and I expect the peak to start from...
By Raina Ong·

Travel along Lake Biwa, Shiga

For our second Solo Female Travel trip, we head to Shiga Prefecture. The most well-known attraction in the prefecture is Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, and I explored the area south of the lake for this 2-day...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Kyoto Report

As we enter the second week of November, the autumn colors are moving slowly but surely towards the major cities. I visited Kyoto today, about a week after Sam’s last visit to the old capital.I am pleased to report...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Mount Fuji Report

We are now just over a week into November, and the autumn colors are also starting to move towards the cities in the Kanto Region as well as in western Japan. Starting this week, the japan-guide team will be ramping...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Tokyo Report

As we approach the month of November, the autumn color season is slowly but surely making its way into the cities. Our last report was from the Fuji Five Lakes region two days ago where Lori reported that the colors...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Nikko Report

It has been ten days since our last report from Nikko and today, I visited the spots we went to the last time to see how the autumn color season has progressed since then. I am pleased to report that while the trees...
By Raina Ong·

Business as usual at Tsukiji Outer Market

Tsukiji Market is made up of two sections, the inner market and the outer market. Since mid October, there has been lots of attention and news about the inner market’s move to Toyosu. On the other hand, the outer...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Hakkoda Report

Moving back to the Tohoku Region since our last autumn color report in Oze, I went to Mount Hakkoda in Aomori Prefecture to kick off the work week. Overall I found the autumn colors here to be nearing the end of their...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2018: Oze Report

It is that time of the year once more when the autumn color chase has begun. This year, we started the season in Hokkaido in late September when the colors were already at their best. From there, we continued at...
By Raina Ong·

Okunoshima Island

In this episode of Far Flung, we head to a more well-known island and considerably fun island in the Seto Inland Sea: Okunoshima Island, more popularly known as Rabbit Island. The small island has a circumference of...
By Raina Ong·

Oh Onomichi

Onomichi, for me, is like the essence of a love sonnet. A place that evokes good vibes, where good memories are made and where you can relax and take time to be in the present. But this is me romanticising about one...
By Raina Ong·

Hello Kitty Shinkansen

The Hello Kitty Shinkansen - the cutest bullet train to grace our train tracks thus far - started its service on June 30, 2018. This Kodama train on the Sanyo Shinkansen with the special livery makes one round trip a...
By Raina Ong·

Eclectic times in Nakameguro

Nakameguro is a neighbourhood in Tokyo that is home to lots of hip and unique boutiques. It’s one of the places where creative minds go to play, a district with an artsy and edgy streak while retaining some of the...
By Raina Ong·

Travel in Oku Aizu, Fukushima

Deviating off the popular sightseeing routes, the inaugural Solo Female Travel begins in Fukushima Prefecture. For this overnight trip, I based myself in the town of Aizu-Wakamatsu and stayed overnight at a ryokan in...
By Raina Ong·

Hateruma Island

The Yaeyama Islands are a popular holiday destination for city dwellers and even more so during the summer months when school is out. For our second Far Flung trip this summer (the first can be seen here), we visited...
By Raina Ong·

Yonaguni Island

Summer in Japan is typically hot and muggy, and many locals escape to either the highlands to avoid the heat or head straight for the islands for some tropical fun in the sun. This summer’s edition of Far Flung sees...
By Raina Ong·

Chasing the high life in Chino, Nagano

Nagano Prefecture is one of the few inland prefectures in Japan whose borders do not touch neither sea nor ocean. The lack of large bodies of water is made up for by plenty of mountains that provide a playground among...
By Raina Ong·

Cruising Tokyo’s waterways

There are a number of rivers that flow through Tokyo with many of them joining up and emptying into Tokyo Bay. Each river brings their distinct charm to the neighbourhoods they are located in, like the cherry trees...
By Raina Ong·

Wisteria blossoms in Ashikaga Flower Park

The cherry blossom season mostly over in the Kanto Region, and it is now time for the spotlight to be on other flowers. If you missed out on the sakura and are looking to see some flowers, the wisteria flowers (fuji...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Mount Fuji Report

The 2018 cherry blossom season is now in places in higher elevations and moving northwards slowly. I returned to the Fuji Five Lakes area today, almost a week after my last trip to check on the progress of the...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Aizu Report

The cherry blossom front line has moved towards the north, and this week, we are checking out the cherry blossoms in cities at higher elevations like the Fuji Five Lakes area as well as in the Tohoku Region. Compared...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Mount Fuji Report

The cherry blossom front is moving northwards and towards the higher elevations, and almost on its last legs in cities like Tokyo and Kyoto. Joe was in Fukushima yesterday and reported that the flowers were still at...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Takaoka Report

Almost a week into April, the cherry blossom front has been steadily moving towards the Tohoku Region and in places at higher elevations. The sakura season has reached their peak in cities like Sendai and Fukushima...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Kanazawa Report

The main cherry blossom season is almost over in the main cities of Tokyo and Kyoto. This year’s sakura season so far has been on average about a week to ten days earlier compared to the average year. The warmer than...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Kyoto Report

In an average year, early April is when the cherry blossom season reaches its peak. However due to a warmer March, the season has been expedited this year and by now, the mainstream Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms in...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Yoshino Report

The sakura season is approaching its end in Tokyo and Kyoto and moving northwards. Fukushima is one of the first cities in the Tohoku Region to reach full bloom today, a mere four days after announcing the opening of...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Kyoto Report

The last week of March saw many cities from Kyushu to at their best viewing period. Yesterday and today are likely to be the last weekend to see the cherry blossoms at their best in those places. Good weather is...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Nagoya Report

We are now at the end of March and in the last two weeks, we have been chasing the cherry blossom front from Kyushu to Kanto. This year窶冱 sakura season so far has been about a week earlier compared to the average...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Kyoto Report

As the warm and sunny spring weather continues across Japan, so has the cherry blossom season with many cities in western, central and eastern Japan currently at full bloom and in their best viewing period. This good...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Osaka Report

It has been almost two weeks since the start of the cherry blossom season when Tokyo and a few cities in Kyushu reported the opening of their first blossoms (kaika). The sakura season in western, central and eastern...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Hiroshima Report

The pace of this year’s sakura season has been about a week earlier compared to the average year. The temperatures over the last few days have been warmer than usual, resulting in an earlier best viewing period...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Fukuoka Report

We are now in our second week of our yearly sakura reports and almost all the cities from Kyushu to Kanto have announced the opening of their first blossoms (kaika) with the exception of some cities located at higher...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Kumamoto Report

This week, many of the places which announced the opening of their first blossoms (kaika) last week have entered their best viewing period. After kaika, it typically takes about five to ten days for the season to...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Kochi Report

The cherry blossom season is currently underway in western, central and eastern Japan. By today, most of the cities in Kyushu, Shikoku, Chugoku, Kinki, Chubu and Kanto regions have announced the opening of their first...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Osaka Report

This year’s cherry blossom season so far has been about a week earlier compared to the average year due to warmer temperatures in March. Despite a couple of cold weather days over the spring equinox which also brought...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Kyoto Report

In the week following the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) in Tokyo on March 17, 2018, kaika was also announced in the majority of cities west of the metropolis. Due to the warmer temperatures in March, the...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2018: Tokyo Report

Spring has come and it’s that time of the year where the team at japan-guide.com bring you the latest cherry blossoms reports from all across the country. The sakura season was officially opened in Tokyo on March 17,...
By Raina Ong·

Kushiro

Winter in Japan very often has two camps of people: those who love the cold and winter activities, and those who stay indoors where it is warm and wish for warm weather to arrive sooner...
By Raina Ong·

Shinanomachi, the Backcountry of Nagano

For two days in mid-January, I took the opportunity to go to Shinanomachi in northern Nagano for a quick winter escape. This year, snowfall came earlier compared to the previous couple of years and I arrived to a...
By Raina Ong·

Following Japan’s silk road to Kiryu

Kiryu is a small town outside of the tourist radar about two hours north of Tokyo. The small city sees few tourists, but it nonetheless used to be part of an important old trade route in Japan: the silk road. The...
By Raina Ong·

Travel Highlights 2017

It’s time to take a look at how 2017 went before 2018 which is looming ahead of us takes over. This year I managed to visit 34 out of 47 prefectures...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Tokyo Report

As the autumn color season winds down, the best viewing period for most places has also passed. To recap japan-guide.com’s autumn color chase, we started the season in Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido-where the colors are...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Tokyo Report

The last time Sam was in Tokyo about five days ago, he reported that the colors in the city were mostly at their best. In those five days, lower temperatures encouraged the rest of the places that were lagging behind...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Kanazawa Report

Today I headed to Kanazawa, a city that has become a popular destination with foreign visitors in the last few years. I visited a couple of the city’s most famous attractions; Kenrokuen Garden, one of the three best...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Kyoto Report

This week has seen cities like Tokyo and Kyoto showing off their best autumn colors. Temperatures have dropped considerably in the last couple of weeks and that also encouraged the colors to improve quickly to now....
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Nara Report

The autumn colors are at their best this week in cities like Tokyo where Sam was today, in Kyoto and Nara where I was today. I expect this weekend to be the best time to see the autumn colors if you are in or around...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Kyoto Report

Back in Kyoto after three days, I found the colors to have developed even more since the last time I was here. The places I visited today were at their peak and I expect the best viewing period to continue into this...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Horaiji Report

Today was one of the coldest days this season with low temperatures reported across most of Japan. Cities in northern Japan like Hokkaido and Aomori as well as places at higher elevations on Honshu the largest island...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Kyoto Report

This year’s autumn color season in western Japan has been about a week earlier compared to the average year. Temperatures have continued to get cooler and that has encouraged the colors to progress and improve faster...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Miyajima Report

After yesterday’s all day rain in Kyoto where the colors were approaching their best colors, today I headed further west to Miyajima about an hour away from Hiroshima. I found the colors here to be at their peak and I...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Kyoto Report

Today, I visited Kyoto a week after my last visit. It was a day of constant rain and temperatures are predicted to fall closer to early winter levels. The highs for the rest of this week in the city are forecast to be...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Korankei Report

After a somewhat average pace in the north, it seems that the autumn color (koyo) season has picked up its pace a little, about a week early compared to the average year in western and central Japan. We will be...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Tokyo Report

After this week’s quick Kansai trip to Kyoto and Koyasan (you can read the reports here), I return to Tokyo to check the progress of autumn colors.The colors in the capital city have just begun and with temperatures...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Koyasan Report

Continuing with my Kansai escapade, today, I head to Koyasan to check out the autumn colors there. I found the colors here to be at their peak and the best viewing period to continue for the next few days. Sunny and...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Kyoto Report

This week, we finally make our way to the Kansai Region. Today, I made my way to Kyoto, the old capital of Japan and found the autumn colors here to be developing very well. Night time temperatures have fallen...
By Raina Ong·

Shinrinyoku in Kirishima

Taking a small deviation off the regular Chotto Zeitaku series, this edition is about shinrinyoku, or forest bathing, an indulgence of nature. The idea is to surrounded by nature, soak in the negative ions and leave...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Kirishima Report

Today, I took the road less travelled and headed west to check out how the autumn colors had progressed. In the season up to know, we have mostly gone to destinations in Hokkaido and as far south as the Fuji Five...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Karuizawa Report

Today, I made my way to Karuizawa, a popular vacation destination in Nagano. Karuizawa just over an hour away from Tokyo by shinkansen and can be done in a day trip. But of course, it would be more comfortable to stay...
By Raina Ong·

The 45th Tokyo Motor Show

The Tokyo Motor Show is a biyearly motoring event and in 2017 this year, it will be open to the public from October 28 till November 5...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Mount Fuji Report

From Nikko where I was yesterday, I made my way to another popular tourist destination, the Fuji Five Lakes. The area is best known as a Mount Fuji viewing location and is also a popular spot for seasonal flora like...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Nikko Report

Continuing with the autumn color chase this week, I headed to the popular tourist destination Nikko for a follow up since Sam’s trip two weeks ago. Today, I found the colors in the Oku Nikko region to be just shy of...
By Raina Ong·

Shiretoko Peninsula

The Shiretoko Peninsula can be considered as one of Japan’s last suriving wilderness that has largely remained untouched by humans...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Shiretoko Report

Two weeks after Schauwecker was in Daisetsuzan in central Hokkaido, I made my way to the Shiretoko Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido. Almost like the country’s final frontier, the peninsula is best known for its...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2017: Route 292 Report

The annual autumn color spectacular has started in the higher altitudes in Japan with Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido showing off splendid colors when Schauwecker was there last week.Today, I headed to check out the...
By Raina Ong·

Tomigaya, the hidden gem of Shibuya

Just minutes away from one of the busiest and most well visited tourist destinations, Shibuya, are the neighbourhoods of Tomigaya and Kamiyamacho. An oasis of peace from the busy scramble...
By Raina Ong·

Remote Riches in Toyama

Toyama Prefecture is home to some of the most stunning attractions in the country. Mountains make up more than half of the prefecture and are even visible from the capital city of Toyama...
By Raina Ong·

Turning up the heat in Hayama

Summer in Japan brings to mind beaches and barbecues, ice cold drinks, and festivals and fireworks. If you are in Japan over the hottest months of the year, consider visiting a nearby beach to experience how the...
By Raina Ong·

Spiritual Chichibu

The mountainous region of Chichibu is an underrated gem just two hours north of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture. The area offers a wide range of activities from hiking to river rafting to shrine-hopping...
By Raina Ong·

Nozakijima Island

Carrying on from where I left off on Ojika Island, I made my way to Nozaki Island (Nozakijima) just 30 minutes away by ferry. Despite being closer...
By Raina Ong·

Ojika Island

One might easily forget that Japan is an island if you live on Honshu, the country’s largest island. You could live so far inland that the trip to the sea...
By Raina Ong·

Traditional craftsmanship in Tsubame-Sanjo

Wanting for a change of pace and to get out of the city, I headed to the cities of Tsubame and Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture. Often collectively referred to as Tsubame-Sanjo, the cities are not as well-known compared to...
By Raina Ong·

Fuji Shibazakura Festival

Today, I went to the Fuji Shibazakura Festival, a very popular flower festival at the base of Mount Fuji. Shibazakura is also known as phlox moss, and has flowers that resemble cherry blossoms (sakura). About seven varieties of shibazakura are planted at the site...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Hirosaki Report

Squeezing in one more cherry blossom report from the Tohoku Region before the weekend, I visited Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture again three days after my last visit. The last time I reported that the mainstream...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Morioka Report

Today, I headed to the capital city of Iwate Prefecture, Morioka to check out the cherry blossoms in the city. Full bloom (mankai) was announced on April 24, three days ago, but I found that the petals have started...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Kakunodate Report

Today I headed to one of the Tohoku Region’s most famous cherry blossom spots, Kakunodate. The entire town has about 1500 cherry trees while the places I visited today, namely the Samurai District and the Hinokinai...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Hirosaki Report

Continuing with our cherry blossom reporting in the Tohoku Region, I headed to Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture today. The castle is located in Hirosaki Park, and has over 2500 cherry trees of different varieties....
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Kitakami Report

We kick off the new week continuing our reporting from the Tohoku Region. Joe visited both Sendai and Fukushima last week and you can read his reports here. Today, I visited Kitakami in Iwate Prefecture and found...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Mount Fuji Report

As we ease into mid April, the cherry blossom front line is heading towards the north and to places in higher elevations. The northern cities of Akita and Aomori in the Tohoku Region reported the opening of their...
By Raina Ong·

Sneak Peek from Ginza Six

On April 20, the much awaited new shopping mall in Ginza, Ginza Six will open, and I had the opportunity to check it out before it opened to the public. Part of Ginza Six stands on where the former Matsuzakaya Ginza department store used to be...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Hiroshima Report

Today, I headed back to Hiroshima, nine days after my last visit. The last time, the flowers were just opening, and today, they have reached their peak and the petals have started falling. Yesterday’s cool...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Himeji Report

We are now in mid April, and almost all of the cities in the regions of Kyushu, Shikoku, Chugoku, Kinki, Chubu and Kanto reached full bloom (mankai). Today’s rain and strong winds would have caused the petals fall in...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Yoshino Report

Today, I head to Japan’s most famous cherry blossom spot, Mount Yoshinoyama in Nara Prefecture. There are about 30,000 cherry trees planted on the mountain slopes and many of them are of the Yamazakura variety.Rain...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Osaka Report

Full bloom (mankai) in Osaka was announced on April 6, two days ago, and that was where i went today. Accordingly to the official announcement of mankai, the cherry trees I saw today were at their peak and very...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Kyoto Report

The last time Sam was in Kyoto, he reported that the blossoms were opening. Today, three days after our last visit, full bloom (mankai) was officially announced in Kyoto. Rain is forecast for Saturday, but should...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Iwakuni Report

Moving eastwards from Fukuoka, I headed to Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The city is best known for its structurally unique Kintai-kyo Bridge. The opening of the first blossoms (kaika) at Kintai-kyo Bridge were...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Fukuoka Report

Today, I returned to Fukuoka, three days after my last report there. As expected, many more blossoms have opened thanks to the warm temperatures and full bloom (mankai) was officially announced for the city today,...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Kumamoto Report

Continuing with my tour of western Japan, I headed to Kumamoto on the west coast of Kyushu. The opening of the first blossoms (kaika) in Kumamoto was announced on April 1. I visited the popular cherry blossom viewing...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Hiroshima Report

Today, I headed to Hiroshima to see how the cherry trees were faring a week after the cherry blossom season was declared open on March 27, on par with the average year. The blossoms seem to be progressing at a slower...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Fukuoka Report

Today I found myself in Fukuoka, where the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) was announced on March 25. However cold temperatures in the days following the opening slowed down the progress of the blossoms opening....
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Kyoto Report

The official start for Kyoto’s cherry blossom season kicked off yesterday on March 31 as expected after the warm temperatures on March 30. The official opening is announced when five or more open blossoms are observed...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Kyoto Report

With the cherry blossom season underway in the Kanto Region, I headed west to Kyoto to check out the cherry blossoms today. The highest temperatures for today in the Kansai Region were over 20 degrees Celsius in both...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2017: Tokyo Report

Tokyo’s sakura season officially kicked off on March 21, five days earlier than average, and the earliest announcement of the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) in the country in the last five years..
By Raina Ong·

A bit of everything in Fukui

Short trips are always good to refresh and reset your senses, whenever it feels like the city gets too overwhelming and you need some time away...
By Raina Ong·

Nikko Toshogu Uncovered

Today, I made a quick trip to Toshogu in Nikko to check out the newly restored Yomeimon Gate. The gate has been under restoration works for the last four years and was finally unveiled to the public on March 10, 2017...
By Raina Ong·

Escaping to the roofs in Tamagawa

Deciding that I needed a little escapade before the rush of the cherry blossom season, I headed to an area in western Tokyo known as Tamagawa. The area is not a major tourist area unlike some of the more popular...
By Raina Ong·

Subculture in Ikebukuro

Ikebukuro in Toshima Ward, is one of Tokyo’s hubs offering an urban landscape of skyscrapers, plenty of shopping, including a mini Chinatown of sorts...
By Raina Ong·

Travel to the Goto Islands

The Goto Islands are a group of over 100 islands about 100 kilometers west of Nagasaki in the East China Sea. Due to their location and remoteness, the islands have an interesting history...
By Raina Ong·

Nagasaki Lantern Festival

The Nagasaki Lantern Festival is one of the highlights of winter in Nagasaki, held to celebrate the lunar new year. Held in Chinatown, the festival runs for the first fifteen days of the lunar new year...
By Raina Ong·

Modern Traditional, Gotemba and Hakone

Mid-winter is the time when most people tend to stay indoors and out of the cold. It is no different here, but when the sky is blue and the sun is out it makes me want to get out and do things. I took advantage of the...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Kyoto Report

Today we bring to you the last autumn color report for this year. In a span of almost three months, we covered a total of about 40 reports. We started in Hokkaido in September, moving down to the main island of Honshu...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Tokyo Report

In our final Tokyo 2016 autumn color report, I visited the city to check out the colors at some of the popular gardens. The fall color season is slowly but surely coming to an end judging from the fallen leaves that...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Tokyo Report

The last time Joe was in Tokyo, he reported that many of the trees in the places he visited, Mount Takao and Shinjuku Gyoen were at their peak. Today, I headed back into the city just four days after our previous...
By Raina Ong·

Getting crafty in Mashiko

Mashiko is a town in Tochigi Prefecture that is famous for its ceramics, Mashiko-yaki. Being a pottery craftsman town, there is a lot of emphasis on hands-on creation and local wares. The city is about 2 hours north...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Tokyo Report

The last time Joe was in Tokyo, he reported that many of the trees in the places he visited were either at their peak or approaching their best. Today, I headed back into the city six days after our previous Tokyo...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Mount Fuji Report

As we head into mid November, the autumn colors have also reached the cities. The colors in Kyoto and Tokyo have just started changing and they should be at their best about two weeks. In the northern Kanto Region,...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Kyoto Report

We’re now one week into November and as the temperatures continue to get cooler, the autumn colors are also progressing along nicely. Last month we reported mostly from the north and areas in higher elevations, but...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Tokyo Report

Today, I visited Tokyo again two weeks after my last trip. The last time I was here, the colors were barely starting with majority of the trees in the city still sporting green leaves. Today, I am pleased to report...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Koyasan Report

Continuing with our Kansai Region reporting, I heade to Mount Koya to check out the state of colors there. Koyasan is the center of Shingon Buddhism and its founder, Kobo Daishi, is believed to be in eternal...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Kyoto Report

The autumn colors are slowly starting in the cities, and today, I bring you our first report from Kyoto. The fall foliage season has barely begun in Kyoto, and many of the trees I saw in the city were still quite...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Tokyo Report

A month ago, we started our first autumn color report of the season in Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido. Since then, the season color spectacular has been in full swing in the north and we’ve covered a number of popular autumn...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Hakkoda Report

Today, I headed further north to Mount Hakkoda, a set of volcanic peaks in Aomori Prefecture. Like Mount Kurikoma where I was yesterday, Mount Hakkoda is known for its seasonal beauty, and one of the first places in...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Kurikoma Report

Three weeks into our autumn color reporting, I headed to Mount Kurikoma, a volcano on the prefectural borders of Iwate, Miyagi and Akita prefectures in the Tohoku Region. The mountain is a popular spot for fall...
By Raina Ong·

Following the Tadami Line in Oku Aizu

The Oku Aizu region in the far west of Fukushima Prefecture is a mountainous region covered mostly by forest. Oku Aizu is roughly about the same size as Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo...
By Raina Ong·

Designs on Tennozu Isle

With fall fast on the heels of summer, the temperatures are starting to cool down and the country gearing up for the autumn color season. Having at least another month before the colors make their way down towards the...
By Raina Ong·

Koyo 2016: Alpine Route Report

It is that time of the year again when temperatures start cooling down signalling the change from summer to autumn. One of the events that many look forward to, is the changing colors of the leaves, also known as koyo...
By Raina Ong·

Fool’s Dance at Koenji Awa Odori

Every year, on the last weekend of August, over ten thousand dancers converge in Koenji, a district in the Suginami Ward of Tokyo, to dance the lively and energetic fool’s dance - or Awa Odori...
By Raina Ong·

Summer in Itoshima

In the summer edition of Chotto Zeitaku Japan, I headed to Itoshima, a small city about a 40-minute drive from either Fukuoka in the east or Karatsu in the west. The area draws parallels to the Shonan Coast near Tokyo...
By Raina Ong·

Shitamachi Yanesen

Yanesen, which is made up of the three neighbourhoods of Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi, is one of Tokyo’s most well known shitamachi areas. A literal translation of the term
By Raina Ong·

Train travel into the Ise-Shima region

Train travel in Japan is one of the most convenient ways to cover long distances across the country, and it was a no-brainer for me to take the train to Ise-Shima where the G7 Summit was held this May...
By Raina Ong·

Delicious Biei, Classic Furano

In the June installation of Chotto Zeitaku Japan, we head over to the middle of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. Located in the middle of Hokkaido, the towns of Biei and Furano are twice as large as the 23 wards...
By Raina Ong·

Wandering through Kagurazaka

When you’re filled with a craving for travel and are a little restless, there’s no better way to soothe that urge than to go out exploring. In an attempt to curb the wanderlust, I spent a cheeky weekday in Kagurazaka...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Sapporo Report

After the cold end to April, the weather across Hokkaido is starting to warm up (finally!) I was in Sapporo, the largest city in Hokkaido, to check out the city’s popular cherry blossom spots for our last...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Noboribetsu Report

Today I headed for Noboribetsu Onsen, which about midway between Hakodate and Sapporo. The hot spring town lies at an elevation of about 200 meters above sea level and is Hokkaido’s most famous onsen resort. Due to...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Matsumae Report

Continuing my cherry blossom tour of southern Hokkaido, I headed to Matsumae today to check out the cherry blossoms in Matsumae Park. Over 10,000 cherry trees of more than 250 different varieties can be seen around...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Hakodate Report

The japan-guide cherry blossom reporting has finally reached Hokkaido, almost six weeks after our first report in Tokyo. Today, I am in Hakodate, a popular harbor town in southern Hokkaido, to check out a couple of...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Hirosaki Report

Today, I visited Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture for our last report from Japan’s largest island of Honshu, before moving on to Hokkaido. The cherry blossom season is over in the southern and central regions of Japan...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Kakunodate Report

Rounding up this week with a Friday vist to Kakunodate, a popular cherry blossom spot in the Tohoku Region. The former castle town in Akita Prefecture has weeping cherry trees in the samurai district and a river lined...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Hirosaki Report

With the cherry blossom season underway in the northern Tohoku Region, we move our reporting there to check out the state of the blossoms. Aomori City reached full bloom today, but the season has yet to reach its peak...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Mount Fuji Report

Today I headed back to the Fuji Five Lakes area four days after my last visit to check out how the blossoms have progressed since. Most of the commonly seen mainstream Somei Yoshino cherry trees were at full bloom...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Mount Fuji Report

Today I headed to the Fuji Five Lakes area, about two hours west of Tokyo, to check out the state of the cherry blossoms there. While the cherry blossoms have mostly finished around Tokyo and Kyoto, the cherry trees...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Tokyo Report

Today I visited a few of the best cherry blossoms spots in Tokyo to check out the state of the blossoms since Scott visited on April 8. The relatively strong winds over the weekend combined with warm weather may have...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Kyoto Report

The heavy rain and strong winds across the country yesterday wrecked havoc on many of the cherry trees, especially the common mainstream Somei Yoshino cherry trees, in southern and central Japan. In just a day of rain...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Nara Report

After about a week of peak cherry blossom viewing throughout western and central Japan, heavy rain and wind today has taken a toll on the blossoms across much of the country...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Kanazawa Report

The japan-guide.com 2016 cherry blossom reporting has been going on for 18 days now, since March 20. In this span of time, we have seen the cherry blossom season start and reach full bloom from the southern cities of...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Yoshino Report

We are now midway through the cherry blossom season, and many of the cherry trees in the cities from Kyushu to the Kanto Region have reached full bloom (mankai). This week is the best viewing period for many of the...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Kyoto Report

We are now midway through the cherry blossom season, and many of the cherry trees in the cities from Kyushu to the Kanto Region have reached full bloom (mankai). Kanazawa and Takamatsu were a couple of the latest...
By Raina Ong·

Setouchi Triennale 2016

The Setouchi Triennale is a contemporary art festival held every three years across twelve islands in the Seto Inland Sea. While contemporary art is a major...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Okayama Report

After five days of warm weather, the temperatures across the country took a small dip today. However, the higher temperatures over the past few days really encouraged the cherry blossoms to bloom and a few more cities...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Hiroshima Report

With the warm weather all week, lots of cherry trees have been flowering and from chasing the openings of the season, we have progressed to best viewing periods for the sakura season. Nagoya was one of the first few...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Onomichi Report

With the warm weather all week, lots of cherry trees have been flowering and from chasing the openings of the season, we have progressed to best viewing periods for the sakura season. Nagoya was one of the first few...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Miyajima Report

The cherry blossom season has started in over two thirds of the country except for the Tohoku Region and Hokkaido. The warm spring weather over the last three days saw temperatures rising to about 20 degrees Celsius,...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Iwakuni Report

The cherry blossom season has started in over two thirds of the country except for the Tohoku Region and Hokkaido. The warm spring weather over the last three days saw temperatures rising to about 20 degrees Celsius,...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Kumamoto Report

After the brief cold spell last week, the temperatures have warmed up considerably this week all across the country and the cherry blossoms are progressing towards reaching their peak. None of the cities have reached...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Fukuoka Report

Today I find myself in Fukuoka in Kyushu Prefecture. It has been ten days since the cherry blossom season was declared open on March 19 in the city, but development from opening to full bloom is progressing slowly in...
By Raina Ong·

Sakura 2016: Tokyo Report

It’s been almost a week since the cherry blossom season officially opened in Tokyo. It usually takes about a week for the flowers to reach full bloom after opening. However, the weather in the past week was slightly...
By Raina Ong·

Sake Sangria

Sake isn’t commonly associated with sangria, the fruity alcoholic beverage, and my curiousity was piqued when I heard...
By Raina Ong·

Tokyo Plum Blossom Report

Today I spent a wet Saturday in Tokyo checking out the plum blossoms in Yushima Tenjin Shrine not far from Ueno Park. Due to the warmer temperatures this year, the...
By Raina Ong·

Travel Highlights 2015

2015 was a massive travelling year for me, as I went to all the major regions in Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Despite having covered 33 out of the 47 prefectures this year, I have not been to all the prefectures in...
By Raina Ong·

48 hours in Tokushima

I had the opportunity to spend about three days, about 48 hours excluding flight time, in western Tokushima. From Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, it was a 70-minute flight to Tokushima Awaodori...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Kyoto

Today I round up the week with another visit to Kyoto. It has been three days since my last visit to the old capital, and this time, I focused on the eastern side of Kyoto covering the area between...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Kankakei

Continuing my tour of valleys and gorges, I visited Kankakei Gorge located at the center of Shodoshima Island, the second largest island in the Seto Inland Sea. Kankakei holds the...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Korankei

Today, we mix things up a little and head out of the Kansai Region, to Aichi Prefecture in the Chubu Region. My destination today was Korankei, a...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Kyoto

Staying in the Kansai Region, I visited Kyoto again today. It was forecast to rain from the afternoon and while the skies looked somewhat promising in the morning, it...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Kyoto

With Joe and Scott covering the Kanto Region, I remain in the Kansai Region and revisited Kyoto again. This time, I went to different temples compared to my last trip three...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Kyoto

Today, I found myself in the old capital of Kyoto, a favorite sightseeing spot amongst locals and tourists alike. When Joe visited the city ten days ago, the trees were still mostly green....
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Koyasan

After Miyajima yesterday, I headed for another important religious site, this time in Wakayama Prefecture. My destination was Mount Koya, center of...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Dazaifu

Dazaifu in Fukuoka Prefecture is located over a thousand kilometers from the Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko) region where Scott was...
By Raina Ong·

The 44th Tokyo Motor Show

Celebrating over 60 years of history, the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015 is held at Tokyo Big Sight from October 29 - November 8. Tickets to the country’s largest...
By Raina Ong·

Hirado, where East meets West

Hirado consists of a number of islands, and is connected to mainland Kyushu by the Hirado Bridge. If you are traveling between Fukuoka...
By Raina Ong·

Navigating the Christian sites in Nagasaki

Christianity had a major influence in the history of Nagasaki and it is difficult to miss out on the deep Christian history that shaped the area. The prefecture was where most foreign...
By Raina Ong·

Cosplay at Haco Stadium Tokyo

Today, I took a break from autumn color reporting to check out Haco Stadium Tokyo, in Chiba Prefecture, that opened earlier this year. Aimed at those who want to take pictures in different settings,...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Nikko

Today, I went to Nikko for a follow up Nikko autumn color report. I visited Okunikko and Nikko to see how the colors had developed since the last time Joe went nine days ago. The autumn colors are...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Route 292

Today I went for a drive along national route 292, the stretch between Yamanouchi and Kusatsu. The route reaches one of the highest elevations of the national routes at 2172 meters and because of its relatively...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Oze

Continuing with our autumn color reports, I headed to Oze National Park to check out the grass in the marshland, kusamomiji. Only 150 kilometers north from Tokyo, it is possible to visit Oze in a daytrip but it...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Alpine Route

A day after the long weekend, colloquially referred to as Silver Week, I headed off to Murodo, the highest point along the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route to check out the autumn colors. Murodo sits at around 2450...
By Raina Ong·

Nakanojo Biennale 2015

Today I headed to Nakanojo in northwestern Gunma Prefecture to check out the Nakanojo Biennale which started on September 12, 2015 and will carry on for a month through to October 12, 2015....
By Raina Ong·

Echigo Tsumari Art Triennale 2015

Today I headed to Niigata Prefecture to check out the Echigo Tsumari Art Triennale which started on July 26, 2015 and will run through to September 13, 2015. This art event is held once...
By Raina Ong·

Sapporo Cherry Blossom Report

The cherry blossom season this year has been somewhat early in most cities, with the flowers opening a few days earlier than the average year. This was more pronounced in the northern cities where the flowers...
By Raina Ong·

Hakodate Cherry Blossom Report

This week, we bring you cherry blossom reports from Hokkaido. Today, I am in Hakodate, Hokkaido’s third largest city in the southern tip of the island, and visited the city’s top cherry blossom spots. Hakodate is a...
By Raina Ong·

Kakunodate Cherry Blossom Report

To round up my short tour of the Tohoku Region, I headed to Akita Prefecture to check out the cherry blossoms in Kakunodate today. The city is famous for its cherry blossoms, especially around the...
By Raina Ong·

Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Report

Continuing with the northern Tohoku Region, I went to Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture today to check out Hirosaki Castle. The castle park bills itself as one of the top cherry...
By Raina Ong·

Kitakami Cherry Blossom Report

After a short break from the cherry blossoms, we resume our reporting in the northern Tohoku Region where the flowers in the respective capital cities have reached full bloom (mankai) last week. The cherry blossom...
By Raina Ong·

Sendai Cherry Blossom Report

While Scott was in the Fujigoko region today and you can read his report here, I headed north to the Tohoku Region and checked out the cherry blossoms in Miyagi and...
By Raina Ong·

Fukushima Cherry Blossom Report

Today I bring you our first report from Fukushima in the Tohoku Region, while Joe will be updating from Nagano Prefecture. Eastern Japan had a cold spell overnight and the Kanto Region...
By Raina Ong·

Tokyo Cherry Blossom Report

After spending about a week in the Kansai Region, I'm back in Tokyo today to bring you the latest cherry blossom update. Scott was in Kyoto today and reported that the petals are...
By Raina Ong·

Kyoto Cherry Blossom Report

Today I'm back in Kyoto, three days after my last report, and visited different places. Kyoto reached full bloom two days ago on April 1, and the blossoms I saw today are still at their peak and...
By Raina Ong·

Nara Cherry Blossom Report

Today’s blue skies were definitely welcomed after yesterday’s rain, and the warm weather brought everyone out to enjoy the blossoms and fine spring weather. As the temperatures have been quite warm over the past...
By Raina Ong·

Osaka Cherry Blossom Report

After the warm and sunny weather yesterday where the temperature reached about 24 degrees Celsius in the Kansai Region, the weather took a turn and there was a steady rain all day today. However, thanks to...
By Raina Ong·

Kyoto Cherry Blossom Report

Moving away from Kyushu, I'll be continuing to bring you the latest updates from the Kansai Region this week. Scott was in Tokyo, and according to his report from yesterday, the...
By Raina Ong·

Fukuoka Cherry Blossom Report

To round up the week, I headed to Fukuoka and checked out Fukuoka Castle Ruins in Maizuru Park, and then to Kitakyushu, to check out Kokura Castle. Next week, Scott will be giving you an...
By Raina Ong·

Kumamoto Cherry Blossom Report

After yesterday’s report in Tokyo where the cherry blossoms were just starting to open, I headed to Kyushu today where the opening of the first blossoms (kaika) in most cities were reported...
By Raina Ong·

Tokyo Cherry Blossom Report

The 2015 cherry blossom season has started in Japan and is overall slightly earlier, with most places opening about two to three days earlier than average. Nagoya, Kumamoto and Kagoshima kicked off the season on...
By Raina Ong·

Travel Highlights 2014

2014 was a year of learning for me; I learnt more about Japanese history, geography, local flora and social customs. Travel also made up a sizeable portion of 2014 with the sakura and autumn color seasons being the...
By Raina Ong·

Seasonal Illumination: Sendai

Today I headed to Sendai in the Tohoku Region to take a look at their illumination which started on December 12 and will continue till December 31. The main illumination area is...
By Raina Ong·

Seasonal Illumination: Tokyo

With the autumn colors in most cities over, we now turn our attention to seasonal illumination. Today, I had the opportunity to check out two spots in...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Kanazawa

After the sunny weather in Kyoto yesterday, I headed to Kanazawa where there was a steady rain all day today. With most of the popular autumn color...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Kyoto

After about two months of reporting almost all over the country, we are reaching the tail end of the autumn season. The leaves and temperatures are starting to fall...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Miyajima

My destination for today was Miyajima, one of Japan’s three most scenic places. The other two top scenic places are Matsushima near Sendai and...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Kyoto

Today I headed to Kyoto to check out a few of the city’s popular autumn color spots. As Scott reported last week, the colors in Kyoto are a little earlier than...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Fuji

Today, I head back to the Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko) region for the last time this season. I revisted most of the places in the last trip nine days ago; while the cherry...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Fuji

Today, Scott and I headed down to the Fuji Five Lakes (Fujigoko) region at the northern base of Mount Fuji, ten days...
By Raina Ong·

Autumn Color Report: Towada

Today I visited Lake Towada and the Oirase stream in the Tohoku Region. Located way up in the northern most part of the region, Lake Towada...
By Raina Ong·

Toranomon Hills opens in Tokyo

Opened on June 11, 2014, Toranomon Hills is Tokyo’s newest landmark. It is named after the Toranomon district which lies between Tokyo Station and Tokyo Tower. Toranomon Hills is...
By Raina Ong·

Yoshino Cherry Blossom Report

Sean went to Yoshinoyama four days ago and reported that while the blossom petals at the bottom of the mountain had started to fall, the flowers towards the top were...
By Raina Ong·

Kanazawa Cherry Blossom Report

Today, I headed to Kanazawa, northwest of Tokyo, and the capital of Ishikawa prefecture. Being on the northern side and close to the Sea...
By Raina Ong·

Tokyo Cherry Blossom Report

Today I visited western Tokyo, after being away in the Kansai region for the past week. Petals are starting to fall in Kyoto...
By Raina Ong·

Kyoto Cherry Blossom Report

The last time I was here in Kyoto, it was full bloom and everywhere was just a sea of whitish pink cherry blossoms. Now, four...
By Raina Ong·

Hiroshima Cherry Blossom Report

After yesterday’s cool weather and falling cherry blossom petals in Osaka, I headed west towards Hiroshima today. It has been five days since...
By Raina Ong·

Osaka Cherry Blossom Report

After three days of beautiful weather, I woke up to slight rain and cooler temperatures today. Because of last night’s rain and strong gusts...
By Raina Ong·

Tokyo Cherry Blossom Report

Exactly three weeks after my early Tokyo blossom report, yesterday was the official start to Tokyo’s sakura (cherry blossom) season....
By Raina Ong·

Early Tokyo Blossom Report

Started off the day with checking out the early flowering sakura varieties, namely the Okanzakura and the Kanzakura types in Ueno Park. It...
By Raina Ong·