Japan travel
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Japan travel · Page 12
Yakushima Guide: Jōmon Sugi, Moss Forests and Japanese to Use
Yakushima is a round, mountainous island south of Kagoshima, covered in ancient cedar forest and famous for rain. Its trails lead to trees thousands of years old, and every trek begins with the same few Japanese questions about time, weather and gear.
13 min readKurokawa Onsen Guide: Bath Hopping Pass, Ryokan and Japanese to Use
Kurokawa Onsen is a small hot spring village in the mountains of Aso, where about thirty ryokan share their open-air baths through one wooden pass. You walk from bath to bath along a river, and at every front desk you use the same short, polite Japanese.
13 min readShuri Castle Guide: The Rebuilt Seiden, Gates and Japanese to Use
Shuri Castle was the royal palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and its main hall, the Seiden, burned in 2019. The rebuilt hall opens to the public on 23 November 2026, with timed tickets for the interior, and a visit is a lesson in both standard Japanese and a few words of Okinawan.
13 min readKokusai-dōri Guide: Naha's Main Street, Market and Japanese to Use
Kokusai-dōri is Naha's main street, a mile of souvenir shops, restaurants and bars, with covered market arcades leading off it. It is where most visitors to Okinawa shop and eat, and a lively place to practise ordering, asking prices and your first Okinawan greetings.
12 min readOkinawa Churaumi Aquarium Guide: Whale Sharks, Tips and Japanese to Use
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, on the Motobu Peninsula, is famous for the whale sharks and manta rays in its vast Kuroshio Sea tank. Its name is a small Okinawan lesson in itself, and a day there gives you plenty of chances to use simple, useful Japanese.
12 min readMiyako Island Guide: Beaches, Bridges and Japanese to Use
Miyako Island is a flat, coral-limestone island about 300 kilometres south-west of Okinawa's main island, known for white beaches, clear water and long bridges to its neighbours. It also has its own language, and a road trip here comes with plenty of easy Japanese.
12 min readIshigaki Island Guide: Kabira Bay, Mantas and Japanese to Use
Ishigaki is the main island of the Yaeyama group, about 400 kilometres south-west of Okinawa's main island, with turquoise bays, manta rays, dark night skies and a lively little town. It is also the ferry hub for the outer islands, and a place where you will hear the Yaeyama welcome, ōri tōri.
11 min readTaketomi Island Guide: Ryukyu Village, Star Sand and Japanese to Use
Taketomi is a small, flat island ten minutes by boat from Ishigaki, with a beautifully kept village of red-tiled roofs, coral walls and white sand lanes. You see it by bicycle, on foot or from a water buffalo cart, and every rental counter and cart ride comes with easy Japanese.
11 min readSapporo Guide: Ōdōri Park, Susukino, Clock Tower and Japanese to Use
Sapporo is Hokkaido's capital, a young city laid out on a grid, with a long park through its centre and a nightlife district full of ramen alleys. It is easy to walk, easy to read once you understand its addresses, and a friendly place to try your first Japanese directions.
13 min readSapporo Snow Festival Guide: Sites, Sculptures and Japanese to Use
Every February, Sapporo fills Ōdōri Park with giant snow sculptures and Susukino with ice carvings. The Sapporo Snow Festival is free, lit up into the evening, and full of short, practical Japanese: site names, stall menus and polite questions to staff.
12 min readOtaru Guide: Canal, Glass, Music Boxes, Sushi and Japanese to Use
Otaru is a harbour town on the coast west of Sapporo, known for its stone-warehouse canal, its glass and music box shops and some of the best sushi in Hokkaido. It is an easy day trip by train and a relaxed place to read signs, shop and order in Japanese.
12 min readFurano and Biei Guide: Lavender, Blue Pond, Hills and Japanese to Use
Furano and Biei, in the middle of Hokkaido, are farm country: lavender fields in July, rolling hills striped with crops, and a pond of unreal blue. It is a region best explored slowly, by local train, bike or car, and a good place to use simple, polite Japanese with farmers, shopkeepers and rental staff.
12 min readPractical guides
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