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 3
Nikkō Tōshōgū Guide: Carved Gates, Kegon Falls and Japanese to Use
Nikkō, two hours north of Tokyo, is where the first Tokugawa shogun is enshrined in Tōshōgū, the most lavishly decorated shrine in Japan. Carved monkeys, a sleeping cat, a vermilion bridge and a mountain waterfall make it an unforgettable day, and a busy one for reading signs and asking about buses in Japanese.
13 min readHakone Guide: Onsen, Ōwakudani, Lake Ashi and Japanese to Use
Hakone, in the mountains south-west of Tokyo, is where Tokyo goes for hot springs, volcanic steam and views of Mount Fuji across Lake Ashi. A classic loop of mountain train, cable car, ropeway and boat links the sights, and every change of vehicle is a chance to ask a question in Japanese.
12 min readKawagoe Guide: Little Edo's Warehouses, Sweets and Japanese to Use
Kawagoe, half an hour from Ikebukuro, keeps a street of black clay-walled merchant houses that earned it the nickname Koedo, Little Edo. Old sweet shops, a wooden bell tower and a temple with pieces of Edo Castle make it an easy day trip, and a friendly place to shop, sample and chat in Japanese.
12 min readMount Takao Guide: Trails, Tengu, Yakuō-in and Japanese to Use
Mount Takao, Takaosan, is Tokyo's own mountain: 599 metres of forest, a mountain temple guarded by winged tengu, and on clear days Mount Fuji from the summit, less than an hour from Shinjuku. It is an easy hike and a perfect place to ask about trails, cable cars and times in Japanese.
12 min readHitachi Seaside Park Guide: Nemophila, Kochia and Japanese to Use
Hitachi Seaside Park, on the Pacific coast of Ibaraki, is famous for one hill: Miharashi no Oka, blue with millions of nemophila in spring and covered in round kochia bushes that turn red in autumn. It makes a long but rewarding day trip from Tokyo, full of bus stops, ticket windows and flower words to practise in Japanese.
13 min readKusatsu Onsen Guide: Yubatake, Yumomi, Public Baths and Japanese to Use
Kusatsu Onsen, high in the mountains of Gunma, is one of Japan's most celebrated hot spring towns, built around the Yubatake, a steaming field of hot water in the middle of the streets. It is the place to learn onsen Japanese, from the ticket window of a public bath to the paddles of a yumomi show.
13 min readClimbing Mount Fuji Guide: 2026 Rules, Trails, Huts and Japanese to Use
Climbing Mount Fuji, 3,776 metres and Japan's highest peak, is a one-night summer adventure that thousands of people complete every season. The rules have changed in the last few years, with trail fees, bookings and night-time gate closures, so this guide explains them, then gives you the Japanese for the trail, the huts and the summit.
15 min readLake Kawaguchiko Guide: Fuji Five Lakes, Views and Japanese to Use
Lake Kawaguchiko is the easiest of the Fuji Five Lakes to reach from Tokyo and the classic place to see Mount Fuji across the water. Loop buses, a ropeway, lakeside parks and onsen hotels make it an easy base, and a good place to use your first bus and ticket Japanese.
12 min readChūreitō Pagoda Guide: Fuji Views, 398 Steps and Japanese to Use
The five-storey Chūreitō Pagoda with Mount Fuji behind it is one of the most famous views in Japan. It sits on a wooded hillside above Fujiyoshida, it is free and open at all hours, and it is a place where a little Japanese and good manners matter as much as a good camera.
11 min readMatsumoto Castle Guide: The Black Keep, Tickets and Japanese to Use
Matsumoto Castle is one of only twelve castles in Japan whose keep has survived since the feudal era, and its black five-tier tower reflected in the moat is unforgettable. Inside you climb steep original wooden stairs in your socks, which makes it a perfect place to use a few polite questions in Japanese.
12 min readKamikōchi Guide: Kappa Bridge, Alpine Walks and Japanese to Use
Kamikōchi is a high valley in the Northern Japan Alps where a clear river runs beneath 3,000-metre peaks. Cars are banned, the paths are flat and well kept, and it is open only from spring to mid-November, so a little planning and a few bus and trail phrases go a long way.
12 min readJigokudani Snow Monkey Park Guide: Getting There, Rules and Japanese to Use
At Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, wild Japanese macaques sit in a steaming hot spring pool while snow falls around them. It is a half-hour forest walk from the nearest road, a short trip from Nagano, and close to two old onsen towns where you can take a hot bath yourself.
12 min readPractical guides
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