Located in Japan’s Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture is the charming onsen town of Shuzenji Onsen. Shuzenji Onsen is rich in culture and history dating back to more then 1,200 years. Shuzenji Onsen is full of natural beauty with mountain rivers cutting through town, bamboo forests, and beautiful mountains surrounding the town on all sides. For a small onsen resort town, there is plenty to do and see here at Shuzenji Onsen. Walk the designated path that leads to all major attractions in town, explore the historical streets, sample local cuisine, and relax at an onsen at one of the famous ryokans. Visitors can also venture from town and sample…

Hakone, Japan is known for Owakudai, The Hakone Open-Air Museum, and Heiwa no Torii, a famous Torii Gate built on the shores of Lake Ashi. A short drive from the Mt. Fuji area and an easy trip from Tokyo, Hakone is a popular tourist destination where visitors come for its beautiful resorts, many attractions, and scenic areas. Hakone has been on my list of places to visit in Japan for a while now, mainly because of the Heiwa no Torii. I am glad I visited Hakone, but after leaving the area, I felt both satisfied and disappointed. So is Hakone worth visiting? **This post contains affiliate links. If you click…

The Chugoku region is the western most region on Japan’s Honshu island. Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi, make up the 5 prefectures of the Chugoku region. A few major cities like Hiroshima and Okayama call this region home. A major draw to this part of Japan is the vast wooded areas, mountains, and cozy small towns. I loved exploring everything this region of Japan has to offer, especially the off the beaten villages tucked away in the mountains or along the coastline. This post is about my favorite small towns in the Chugoku region of Japan. 🇯🇵  **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the…

Hiroshima is one of Japan’s most well known cities, for obvious reasons. Hiroshima does have a dark past but this city rose from the ashes to become a beautiful,  lively, and well respected city. Hiroshima City is an easy city to explore with most of the attractions being within walking distance from the Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Castle. Hiroshima deserves minimum one day of exploring if not two. After successfully visiting what Hiroshima has to offer there are so many day trips from Hiroshima that are worthwhile. Just a couple of hours or less, you can see towns and attractions like the Floating Torri Gate at Miyajima or take a…

Kobe, Japan pronounced Ko-Beh and not Ko-Bee, is a city in Japan on the outskirts of Osaka. When you think of Kobe, most people will think of the beautifully marbled Wagyu beef that comes from this region of Japan. Trust me, the Kobe beef was absolutely delicious but there are so many other things to do in Kobe that will keep any tourist occupied for days. Obviously, when in Kobe, try the world-renowned beef but also spend time at Ikuta Shrine, walk to the port and see the Earthquake Memorial and Be Kobe sign, stroll through Chinatown, check out the 19th century western homes, sample local brews, and make sure…