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 13
Hakodate Guide: Night View, Goryōkaku, Morning Market and Japanese to Use
Hakodate, at the southern tip of Hokkaido, is a port city of trams, harbour warehouses, hillside churches and one of Japan's most famous night views. It is compact, easy to explore in two days, and full of short conversations at ticket counters and market stalls.
12 min readAsahiyama Zoo Guide: Penguin Walk, Polar Bears and Japanese to Use
Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa is Japan's northernmost zoo and one of its most famous, thanks to enclosures that let you watch animals swim, climb and hunt up close. In winter, king penguins waddle through the snow on their daily walk. It is a joyful place to practise simple Japanese questions about times and places.
12 min readShiretoko Guide: Five Lakes, Bear Safety, Cruises and Japanese to Use
Shiretoko, at the north-eastern tip of Hokkaido, is a World Heritage peninsula of forest, cliffs and wildlife, and one of the densest brown bear habitats in Japan. Visiting well means following its rules, reading its warning signs and asking staff a few clear questions in Japanese.
13 min readNoboribetsu Onsen Guide: Hell Valley, Hot Springs and Japanese to Use
Noboribetsu Onsen is Hokkaido's best-known hot spring town, built beside a steaming volcanic valley called Jigokudani, Hell Valley. You can walk among the vents, soak your feet in a warm river and bathe in several kinds of spring water, all with a handful of polite Japanese phrases.
11 min readLake Tōya Guide: Volcanoes, Fireworks, Lake Cruise and Japanese to Use
Lake Tōya is a round caldera lake in south-west Hokkaido, with a wooded island in the middle, an active volcano on its shore and a hot spring town that sets off fireworks over the water every night from spring to autumn. It is a relaxed, scenic stop and an easy place to practise travel Japanese.
11 min readNiseko Guide: Mount Yōtei, Towns, Onsen, Seasons and Japanese to Use
Niseko is famous worldwide for powder snow, but it is also a place of farm towns, hot springs and one great volcano, Mount Yōtei, rising over everything. Look past the ski lifts and you find a region where a little Japanese opens doors in town, at the onsen and on the mountain.
12 min readMatsushima Guide: Pine Islands, Bay Cruise and Japanese to Use
Matsushima is a bay of some 260 pine-covered islands half an hour from Sendai, counted for centuries among the Three Views of Japan. A cruise among the islands, a Zen temple rebuilt by Date Masamune and a hall on its own tiny island make an easy day out, with plenty of chances to buy tickets and ask questions in Japanese.
13 min readGinzan Onsen Guide: Gas Lamps, Winter Entry and Japanese to Use
Ginzan Onsen is a single street of wooden inns lining both banks of a mountain river in Yamagata, lit by gas lamps after dark and buried in snow in winter. It is tiny, very popular and, in winter, open to day visitors only by reserved shuttle, so a little planning and a few lines of Japanese go a long way.
13 min readChūson-ji Guide: Konjikidō Golden Hall, Hiraizumi and Japanese to Use
Chūson-ji is a forest temple in Hiraizumi, Iwate, whose Konjikidō is a small hall covered in gold leaf inside and out, built in 1124 and still standing. The visit is a walk up a cedar-lined slope past quiet halls, with one ticket, one golden room and a handful of signs to read.
11 min readYamadera Guide: 1,015 Steps, Godaidō View and Japanese to Use
Yamadera, the mountain temple, is a cluster of halls clinging to the cliffs above a valley near Yamagata, reached by about a thousand stone steps through the cedars. The climb takes half an hour or more, and the reward is one of the great views of Tōhoku and the rock where Bashō heard the cicadas.
11 min readAomori Nebuta Matsuri Guide: Floats, Haneto Dancing and Japanese to Use
Every year from 2 to 7 August, giant lantern floats of warriors, gods and monsters roll through the streets of Aomori at night, surrounded by drummers, flutes and thousands of hopping dancers shouting rassera. Anyone in the right costume can join the dance, which makes the Nebuta Matsuri one of the few big festivals where you can take part rather than watch.
12 min readHirosaki Castle Guide: Moving Keep, Cherry Blossoms and Japanese to Use
Hirosaki Castle has one of only twelve original castle keeps left in Japan, set in a park famous for some of the finest cherry blossoms in the country. The keep has spent a decade on a temporary base while its stone walls were rebuilt, and in 2026 it is being moved back, so a visit now means watching a rare piece of castle history in progress.
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