When you hear “Himeji” you probably think of the beautiful “Himeji Castle” which is certainly what Himeji is most famous for. However, there are a lot of other things to discover and enjoy! One of them is...
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6 Things You Can Do If Your Japan Trip was Cancelled due to Covid-19
Your Japan trip was cancelled due to Covid-19 and now you’re not sure what to do? No doubt these are crazy times we’re living in. I’ve already had my share of emergency states and chaos when I lived in Japan, e...
The Remaining 12 Original Japanese Castle Keeps
It’s probably not a secret that I’m a HUGE fan of Japanese castles. At this point I’ve been to around 150 of them and there are even more waiting to be explored. With so many castles around, it’s sometimes...
From Tokyo to Okayama (Sample Itinerary for 4 days)
If you visit Japan for the first time, Tokyo is usually the place everybody wants to check out. And indeed there are many exciting things to discover in Tokyo – some of them will be introduced today. However, if you stick...
Goodbye Zooming Japan: Hiatus notification
Hello to anyone who’s still reading “Zooming Japan”. I know this blog has struggled with regular updates for the longest time now. And there’s a reason for that. I’ve been putting this off for quite...
Matcha – Japan’s Healthiest and Most Traditional Green Tea
Japan is famous for its green tea. If you ever drink tea in Japan, it’s most likely green tea. Among the famous types of green tea are Sencha, Genmaicha, Hojicha … but first and foremost Matcha (抹茶). What is...
Is the Japan Rail Pass Worth the Money?
A question I get almost on a daily basis is: Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it? Short answer: Yes, for long distance travelling (e.g. a round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto). Ok, ok. You want the long answer, right? :) What is the...
Onsen Etiquette: Don’t make these 8 mistakes in a Japanese Hot Spring!
Enjoying a Japanese hot spring is something you don’t want to miss when visiting the country. Japan is blessed with onsen (温泉 / ♨) thanks to its many volcanoes. The hot water origins from geothermally heated springs. This...
From Kanto to Kansai: Kumano Kodo + Nakasendo (Autumn 2017)
This was probably my longest Japan trip ever since 2007. Either I lived in Japan or my trips were partly business trips to Japan, so I barely could add 1-1,5 weeks of private vacation afterwards. 3 weeks is a very good time frame...