「Travel Smart, Explore More！」
Hi! I’m Tsubaki, a freelance contributing travel journalist who has lived in Japan for 10 years! One weekend in early April, Ugo and I spontaneously decided to head out for a cherry blossom walk along the Kanda River. It happened to be right at the tail end of the season, and…
If you’re visiting Tokyo in mid-October, don’t miss the Kawagoe Festival (Kawagoe Matsuri) in Saitama Prefecture, an incredibly vibrant celebration that rivals Tokyo’s three major festivals in excitement and atmosphere. More than just a traditional festival, the Kawagoe Festival transforms the entire city into a “festival village”, filled with energy,…
When visiting Tokyo in autumn, most people think of chasing red maple leaves, but there’s another dazzling experience you shouldn’t miss: the Ikegami Honmonji Oeshiki Lantern Parade (お会式｜Oeshiki), a grand Buddhist festival held every October. The scale of this event is truly incredible. According to official records, more than 300,000…
When people think of Akita’s Namahage (なまはげ｜Namahage), the first image that often comes to mind is a fearsome red or blue demon wearing a terrifying mask and holding a knife, something that seems like a character designed just to scare children during a festival. But when I actually stepped into…
When you think of Akita, what comes to mind first? Maybe Akita dogs, rice, or hot springs. But for Tsubaki, the most unforgettable highlight of a trip to Akita was the Namahage, those straw-clad, fang-masked demons who bang on doors and shout in booming voices. This traditional ritual in Oga…
Deep in Wakayama Prefecture, surrounded by the borders of Nara and Mie, lies the small village of Kitayama. Its most iconic summer activity is the Kitayama River IKADA-KUDARI Log Rafting (北山川観光筏下り), a rare and thrilling experience where you ride a real log raft down a rushing river. The whole experience…
As I wandered down the nostalgic, Edo-era streets of Narai-juku, surrounded by traditional wooden townhouses and timeworn cobblestone paths, the thing I looked forward to most was indulging in the town’s most iconic specialty: the local soul food known as Tōji Soba (とうじそば). For this trip, I made it a…
Every spring, Tokyo is wrapped in a dreamy haze of pink cherry blossoms. When it comes to famous hanami spots in Tokyo, most people immediately think of places like Meguro River, Ueno Park. But today, Tsubaki is going to introduce a hidden gem that rivals Meguro River in beauty but…
Compared to ramen, I actually prefer tsukemen! Every time I visit a ramen shop, if tsukemen is on the menu, it’s always my first choice. Not only are the noodles thicker and chewier than those of regular ramen, but the dipping broth is also far richer and more intense. In…
