Japan is a captivating blend of tradition and modernity, offering travellers endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. With 2024 having the most tourist numbers ever, 2025 is set to be a big year for travel in Japan. Popular places like...
Uncover Niigata's culinary and natural highlights at the Fukushimagata Lagoon, an area retaining its unique regional culture. Niigata Prefecture lies in the northwest of Japan, famed for its spectacular natural scenery and flourishing food culture. The region is rich in...
This summer I had the chance to visit the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, which is an open-air museum spread all around Niigata Prefecture, designed by artists from all over Japan and the world. I will introduce the festival to you as...
The Goto Islands - where Christianity and Buddhism coexist and beautiful beaches abound. This summer I took a trip to one of Japan's true hidden gems - the Goto Islands, nestled in the serene waters of Nagasaki Prefecture. The islands...
Nestled along the Sea of Japan, Toyama Prefecture is a hidden gem that offers a blend of stunning natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage. If you are looking for an off-the-beaten-path destination in Japan, Toyama is an excellent option, especially...
Matsue City is the capital of Shimane Prefecture, one of the least visited out of all Japan's 47 prefectures. This means that it is a hidden gem with much to see, but less crowds to contend with. Matsue has a...
The Amakusa Islands are a chain of over 120 islands situated between Nagasaki and Kumamoto. Although Nagasaki is a famous destination for tourists, Amakusa is much less well known, despite having a similar history and stunning sub-tropical island scenery. Although...
Last Summer I did a wonderful trip to the West side of Japan. I rented a car and travelled along the Japan Sea, stopping along the way to enjoy what each prefecture had to offer. One of these prefectures was...
Rishiri and Rebun are two of Japan's Northernmost islands, located a two hour ferry ride from the city of Wakkanai and part of the Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park. Bitterly cold and icy in Winter, the islands are at their best in...
I recently spent three days exploring the Southern part of Nagano Prefecture, an area previously unexplored. It is not as well-known as other parts of Nagano like Kamikochi or Hakuba, but it is still worth seeing if you have the...
Two years ago I took an Autumn trip to the city of Iwaki in Eastern Fukushima. Iwaki was a prosperous coal mining town at one point, until the industry declined in the 1960s and they faced depopulation and economic distress....
Recently my family and I took a daytrip to Obuse Town. Obuse is just 20km from the famous snow monkeys, so it makes a good detour along the way. You can reach it by train from Nagano Station in under...
Yuriage is a fishing town within the larger community of Natori, located about 30 minutes from Sendai. It was damaged badly in the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, very little survived besides a lone tree which used to guard the...
Kochi is a relatively unknown destination which we at Omakase Tours really love. We were lucky enough to go there in both Spring and Autumn this year. I will introduce the spots we visited over the course of one week,...
I recently had to do some research on Utsunomiya , the capital city of Tochigi Prefecture. Despite it being less than one hour from Tokyo by shinkansen, there was surprisingly little information in English available. Most sources say the same...
For an easy trip to the nature from Tokyo - try Nasu-Shiobara. Located in the popular Nikko National Park, Nasu-Shiobara is comprised of the two towns, Nasu and Shiobara, nestled around Mount Nasudake. Being part of a national park, the...
