Travel Stories
Japan Stories
Nagano: Natural Japan
Nagano Prefecture Overview Nagano is rarely part of the popular travel routes through Japan except for skiers or those in search of the snow monkeys in Jigokudani Park in Yudanaka. This often overlooked prefecture is the perfect place for travelers looking to...
Trip Ideas: Wakayama and Kumano Kodo
Day 1 When you are arrive by bus, check in to your ryokan or shukobo and spend the rest of the day walking around the UNESCO World Heritage site of Koyasan where you’ll find breathtaking nature and magnificent Buddhist and Shinto architecture. End your day with a...
Trip Ideas: Travel Northern Japan in Hokkaido
Why Hokkaido? Japan is a long archipelago that stretches from north to south by 1,900 miles, or 3,000 km. The largest island on the northern part of Japan is Hokkaido. Once considered a foreign land of Ezo where the native Ainu people lived, it is an island of...
Trip Ideas: Exploring Japan’s Kanto Region
Greater Tokyo Area It is undeniable that the Greater Tokyo Area is at the heart of the Kanto Region, but there are six other wonderful prefectures that comprise the most populated and diverse area in Japan — Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa....
Japan Travel Stories: Roxanne and Geissler
Before we dive in.....We work hard to help our travelers make their Japan trips unforgettable. We love to hear about their journeys when they get back. In this post, we speak with Roxanne and Geissler who were first time Japan independent travelers and had ambitious...
Tattoos in Japan — What You Need to Know
Who doesnt have a tattoo? 98% of Japan!Tattoos long ago lost their taboo in most of the world. Many people have them and it rarely is an obstacle to any day-to-day activity. With one exception, visiting Japan. This post is for the inked travelers and what you need to...
What’s your Japan travel style? Independent, self-guided tour, or a guided tour?
What travel style works for you really depends on what you deem important to your trip. Is it maximizing your time? Do you want an expert to craft your plan utilizing local knowledge, relationships, and access to get to you places you likely couldn’t? Do you like to...
Japanese Mascot Tour: Explore Japan with Cute Guides
The one arena the US celebrates mascots is in sports, particularly baseball. For instance, Phillie Phanatic is one of the most recognizable characters in the sport. Mascots can establish brand association and generate interest in attending events as well as...
Top 3 Challenges in Japan: Language Barrier and Miscommunication
Survey Says... We recently sent out a survey to people who have traveled to Japan and asked about the challenges they actually experienced there. While many respondents said they did not encounter any issues (surprising but true), here is the second most popular...
Top 3 Challenges in Japan: Getting around by Subway and Taxi
Getting Around Japan Japan continues to be one of the most sought-after destinations for travelers all over the world. It is expected that 35.5 million people will visit Japan by the end of 2019 and 40 million in 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Olympics. Not only do...
American Stories
New York City: Jewish Eating History
For context.... When in New York, you have a very different sense of Jewish culture and influence than elsewhere in the United States. The entire Jewish population of the US is between 5.5 and 6 million people (less than 2% of the population). In New York City alone,...
New Orleans: The Best Places for Cocktails and Drinking
Pick your poison New Orleans is known for it's all night parties, drinking in the streets, and for Mardi Gras. What the outside world knows less about is the sophisicated cocktail culture and history behind some of their signature drinks. Let's start where most...
New Orleans: The Best Food and Places to Eat
Did you know New Orleans has over 1,000 restaurants?A Few Seasonal Specialties Winter As Mardi Gras is approaching let's start with King Cake, honoring the three biblical kings' journey. Cakes are iced with purple, green, and gold (Mardi Gras official colors)...
New Orleans Jazz Music Tours
The birthplace of jazz New Orleans is one of the most unique cities in the world. It has long been a cultural melting pot of cultural from the region's immigrants, slaves, native tribes, and place of trade along the Mississippi River. It is hard to pinpoint any one...
Country Music Tours: The Nashville Sound of Japan
Blue Rangers at the EM Club in Yokosuka, ca. early 1960s | courtesy of J.T. Kanehira. Tour the American South and explore the history of American music On KiKO's Musical Americana tours, we explore the origins and artists that defined American music. Join...
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