A day trip to Hakone with a friend, built around just two stops — bamboo charcoal soba at Akatsukian and a deep dive into Tenzan Onsen's two hot spring sources, from an Onsen Sommelier's perspective.
Three more stops in Noge — a tachinomi with a ticket system, a charcoal grill and sake spot, and a sushi counter where you write your own order on paper.
I'd heard the phrase bijin no yu — beauty water — my whole life without knowing what it actually meant. So I went looking for it, starting with Tokyo's black-water onsen and my home onsen in Yokohama.
A ryokan review of Hana to Hana in Yunishigawa Onsen, Tochigi — covering the alkaline hot springs, irori hearth dinner, sake tasting, and what makes this mountain retreat worth the trip.
I've taken more people around Yokohama than I can count. Eventually it made more sense to just write it down.
Yokohama has a strong ramen identity — iekei was born here. But the city's scene is broader than that. Three shops I keep coming back to, each a different style.
A small adults-only ryokan in Gora with 8 rooms, each with its own private outdoor bath. Here's what the onsen water is actually like — and why August in Hakone makes more sense than you'd expect.
A certified Onsen Sommelier's guide to using a Japanese hot spring properly — including the five bathing principles.
Noge is where Yokohama locals actually drink — narrow streets, cheap highballs, and izakayas that haven't changed in decades. Here's how to do it right.
Guidebook, guided tour, or custom itinerary? An honest breakdown to help you figure out which one fits your day trip in Kanagawa.
A look at exactly what you get when you order a personalized Kanagawa day trip — and why it's built differently from anything you'd find on Google.
From Chinatown to the waterfront, here's how to spend a perfect day in Yokohama — Tokyo's stylish neighbor just 30 minutes away.