Hokkaido is truly vast with boundless nature and a rich diverse history. Driving around Hokkaido on your own is a great experience allowing you to reach unique places, villages and sites for activities. So let’s take a look at what you need to prepare for your Hokkaido road trip, as well as some itineraries to spark your enthusiasm!
When a large eruption occurred about 110,000 years ago and the lava started to cool down over the thousands of years that followed, Lake Toya rose from the earth. Today the caldera is regarded as one of Hokkaido’s three great landscapes and is a popular destination for anyone visiting Japan’s northern island.
Known as “Heaven’s Grass”, the islands of Amakusa combine splendid natural beauty with a deeply-woven religious history that certainly does their name justice.
For the full article, please refer to ANA Experience Japan.
Tucked away in Kansai mountainside lies Mount Koya —a centuries— old spiritual retreat.
Did you know Japan had its very own “Wild West”? Well, it is more like “Wild North” as the area I am referring to is actually in Japan’s beautiful northernmost island of Hokkaido.
Plum blossom season is here, so what better time to share one of our favorite spots to see some pink-petaled beauties. And that spot is Ikegami Plum Garden in Tokyo’s Ota Ward—home to over 370 plum trees, made up of 30 unique varieties. The garden measures about 8,000 square meters, and was originally an artist’s studio before it became someone’s home and later was granted to the ward to be opened as a public space.
One of Kyoto’s most iconic images—alongside Fushimi Inari’s torii tunnels and geisha-spotting in the Gion district—takes you to the west side of the city along the banks of the Hozu River in Arashiyama.
Summer is just around the corner (and with it the Kansai heat), so why not head to one of Japan’s “three most beautiful sights” (Nihon Sankei) which just so happens to be right next to the sea.
Summer in Kansai is quite notorious among both locals and visitors to the region during the season.