Like this post? Help us by sharing it! As we celebrate InsideJapan’s 25th anniversary in 2025, it’s remarkable to reflect on how much has changed since our inception. What began as a passion project by Alastair and Simon has grown alongside Japan’s tourism industry, which saw inbound visitors increase from fewer than 5 million in […]
Culture & History
The places in-between: Toyama
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The places in-between: Toyama It’s easy to categorise Toyama simply: a traditional, beautiful and charming corner of Japan. Known for its woodcarving heritage, incredible coast-side sushi and epic alpine landscapes, it’s all these things. But its true character goes beyond centuries-old temples and quaint shopping streets. It’s […]
The places in-between: Kyoto by the Sea
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! The places in-between: Kyoto by the Sea Just two hours from Kyoto lies the place where rice was first cultivated and sake first brewed in Japan, and where two of UNESCO’s World’s Most Beautiful Bays lie. It’s home to the highest concentration of people over 100-years-old on […]
What’s (not) hot for Japan in 2025
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Our favourite (not so) hot destinations for Japan in 2025 Around 35 million people visited Japan in 2024 (they’re still counting) and this year is set to be even bigger. It’s the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, Osaka will be the first city to […]
Five cultural experiences you must have in Toyama
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! When The Telegraph journalist, Gemma Knight-Gilani, saw our Hidden Zen trip, she was so excited by the itinerary, it became part of her honeymoon. Fresh from her trip, she shared her top five cultural experiences in Toyama – an often skipped-over region that holds some of the […]
Interview with a geiko (geisha): overtourism in Kyoto
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! As Kyoto, and specifically its geisha district, Gion, becomes more and more popular with foreign visitors, it’s important to understand the impact on geisha themselves. So, our Japan-based Head of Operations, Tyler, went to find out. He sat down with Tomitsuyu, an experienced geiko (to use the […]
Like this post? Help us by sharing it! As Kyoto, and specifically its geisha district, Gion, becomes more and more popular with foreign visitors, it’s important to understand the impact on geisha themselves. So, our Japan-based Head of Operations, Tyler, went to find out. He sat down with Tomitsuyu, an experienced geiko (to use the […]