Places we love

Onomichi: The Town Between the Hills and the Sea

Onomichi: The Town Between the Hills and the Sea

Everyone talks about Miyajima when they visit Hiroshima. We left thinking about a quiet hillside town an hour away instead. This is the story of ho...

Matsumoto: Where Japan Began to Feel Like Japan

Tokyo introduced us to Japan. But it was a quiet castle town in the Japanese Alps — with our son's first shrine visit, first omikuji and our favour...

Kanazawa: The City We Had to Visit Three Times to Truly Understand

Our first visit to Kanazawa left us wondering what all the fuss was about. We had underestimated the city, arrived unprepared and barely scratched ...

Togakushi: The Place I Had Been Looking For All Along

We first arrived in Togakushi by accident, wearing the wrong shoes and completely unprepared for what awaited us. What we found beneath towering ce...

Hida Furukawa: The Town a Snowstorm Led Us To

A snowstorm stranded us in Takayama and changed our plans completely. Instead of disappointment, it led us to Hida Furukawa — a quiet town we have ...

Gujo Hachiman: The River Town That Felt Like Summer

We had heard about Gujo Hachiman for years — a quiet water town with crystal-clear rivers, old lanes, schoolchildren by the riverbank and almost no...

Kamikochi: Japan's Most Beautiful Walk

We waited years before visiting Kamikochi as a family. When our seven-year-old completed his very first hike along the Azusa River, we realised thi...

Kifune: The Kyoto We Keep Returning To

Kifune became one of our favourite escapes from Kyoto — a mountain village of riverside cafés, glowing lanterns, water fortunes and quiet shrine pa...

Takayama: Where We Fell in Love with a Different Side of Japan

Over several visits and every season, Takayama has quietly become one of our favourite places in Japan. From peaceful riverside walks and morning m...