Why have I heard of Hakuba before? If you’ve ever looked at a winter trip to Japan, chances are you’ve come across Hakuba several time. It’s an extremely popular ski destination from December-March in Nagano, Japan. Its location allows quick access from Tokyo by Shinkansen (bullet train) and bus to the village. In winter, the … More Summer in Hakuba

February 22, 2021 When you think you of Japanese flowers, sakura (cherry blossoms) are probably what comes to mind. However, after living in Japan for nearly 2 years we’ve come to learn that Japan has different famous flowers for every season and winter is no different. The plum blossoms are famous for blooming at the end of … More Yushima Tenjin Shrine – Plum Blossoms

8th November, 2020 As winter drew nearer, we were running out of hiking weekends, so for Georgia’s birthday weekend she decided she wanted to do a hike we’d been meaning to do for a while, Lake Chuzenji. We’d been to Lake Chuzenji twice already and done a few short walking trails but we wanted to … More Hiking Lake Chuzenji, Japan

There is something distinct to look forward to in every season in Japan. As a country with such defined seasons (and sub-seasons – rainy season we’re looking at you) there are events in every part of the year to eagerly anticipate, and winter is no exception. As an antidote to the long nights and cold … More Visiting Tokyo’s Amusement Park Winter Illuminations

The air is salty and fresh and the breeze ruffles your hair; sure signs that you’re in Yokohama. Yokohama is Japan’s second largest city and was one of Japan’s first foreign trade ports. Today, Yokohama is a thriving, modern city with a beautiful seaside port and is a perfect day trip escape from the busy … More Guide: A Day in Yokohama

As the cooler weather has begun to roll in we were keen to fit in a few more hikes before it starts to snow on the mountains. In searching for new hikes close to Tokyo we came across a few in Gunma Prefecture that we were keen to do so we booked a hotel, a … More Hiking Mt. Shibutsu 至仏山 in Oze National Park 尾瀬

20th – 22nd August Day 1 After getting back from Hokkaido we were keen to fit in one more little trip before Maddy had to return to work on Sunday. We decided on Nikko as it’s only 2 hours drive from Tokyo and is a must-visit historical spot in Japan. Maddy had visited Nikko in … More Shrines, Kayaks and Edo in Nikko 日光

At 8:15am, August 6th, 1945, a US B-29 Bomber dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing an estimated 80,000 people on impact and completely devastating the city. A further estimated 50,000 people would die over the days, weeks and years to come due to radiation exposure. When you arrive in Hiroshima, the first … More Hiroshima: A city recovered from war

Welcome to day one of our ‘Osaka Trip’! Our family trips are well known to be a ‘lets see how much we can do in just four day’ kind of trips. This one was no exception. Having never been to Osaka and the surrounding areas, we thought it was finally time venture West. We took … More A day-trip to Miyajima Island

After having our international driver’s licences for over a year, they have now expired and in Japan that means that you either apply for a Japanese licence or you don’t drive. In most countries you can’t renew your international licence after one year and have to get your local licence instead. As we had summer … More Getting our Japanese Driver’s Licences