Japan

If a getaway on your own makes you feel a little nervous, rest easy, because we've found five solo trips that are safe, affordable and brimming with bucket list experiences.  

Whether you’d prefer fluffy clouds of kakigori melting in your mouth or a succulent piece of tonkatsu, these Tokyo restaurants have you covered.

As the vibrant capital of Japan, Tokyo pulsates with an energy that is truly unparalleled.

If the bright lights and crowds of people are getting a little too much, these are the best day trips to take from Tokyo in 2025.

Whether you're eyeing Ginza's stylish streets or Asakusa's old-world charm, the perfect Tokyo hotel is waiting for you.

Eating through Japan is a foodie's dream. From iconic street food to convenience store gems, here are 20 must-try dishes from my trip!

Japan is far more than just packed city streets and temples.

Laying back in steamy waters, blissfully allowing your muscles to relax and feeling the stress of the day unwinding is, for most Aussies, a little treat we rarely indulge in.

High-speed trains, irridescent laneways, endless ramen and underground izakayas—time to get booking.

We’ve rounded up some of the most popular J beauty products that you can now score on Amazon. 

Some are pumped with steamy onsens, some ikebana displays and others casually fare free-flowing champagne dinners because, why not?

When one thinks of Japan, the mind immediately wanders to the neon-lit streets of Tokyo, perhaps the okonomiyaki of Osaka, or Hokkaido’s powdery ski fields in winter. The cliches are cliches for a reason, but that’s not to say the land of the rising sun’s largest northern island shouldn’t be on the top of the list in the months outside of snow season.

The future is now and a hotel in Japan is leading the way, replacing staff with holograms and robots. At the Henn-na Hotel, located in Tokyo’s buzzing Ginza district, you’ll be greeted by anything from a friendly ninja (who can speak five languages no less), to an even friendlier dinosaur who is pretty damn excited to meet a human. 

There’s about 1,000 reasons why we’re so obsessed with Japan. The food, the culture, the people, the snow, the food… you get it. With Japan being so close to us, it’s always been a favourite holiday spot, but with a little thing called COVID-19 tearing up our getaway plans the thought of a trip the Asian island seemed unlikely.

Not so long ago it was pretty simple to navigate Niseko’s foodie scene, mostly because there was nothing but a few ramen shops, bakeries and one or two more upmarket spots to treat yourself after a long week on the snow. In the last few years though, there has been an influx of international powder hounds and the restaurants, cafes and bars have done a top job of keeping up with demand. 

If January has your bank balance, liver and holiday memories running low, then we have just what you need—free flights!

Seeing as forest bathing is our new favourite wellness activity, we thought we better find a way to incorporate it into our travel plans for 2020. From tropical rainforests to 1000 year old trees, here are 10 of the world’s most incredible forests that are ready for you to bask in their glory.

Ready yourself for peak nostalgia—and the age-old debate of who is better… Mario or Luigi?—because the world is about to score a Nintendo theme park and it includes a life-size Mario Kart track! Super Nintendo World is set to open in 2020 (just in time for the Tokyo Olympics) at Japan’s Universal Studios in Osaka and will feature a bunch of your childhood faves like Peach, Yoshi and Bowser. And we’re crossing our fingers for a possible run in with the likes of Pikachu, Link and Zelda.

If you’ve ever found yourself in Bali during school holidays or hoiking your suitcase up 100-year-old staircases in Europe during a heatwave, you’ve probably learned that choosing where to travel is just as important as deciding when to go.

From the Summer Olympic Games to cultural extravaganzas and hot hotel openings, there are dozens of reasons to plan a holiday for 2020. Here are the cities and countries to add to your travel itinerary in the New Year. 

If ever the day comes when you’ll be able to hop on your private jet to collect exquisite art, we’ve found some of the world’s coolest art events you need to travel to.

Getting off the beaten track is the best way to holiday, and we can’t think of a place that makes it more convenient than Japan.

Japan is on everyone’s lips these days, but there’s so much to this island country than the bright lights of Tokyo. Don’t get us wrong, Tokyo is incredible as always, but getting off the beaten track and exploring what’s on offer in Sapporo, Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Osaka will well and truly make you fall in love with this country (if you haven’t already).

Everyone’s favourite label-less label MUJI has just opened its first domestic hotel, and they’re doing things a little differently.

If you’re feeling a bit wary about travelling solo, Tokyo is the perfect place to dip your toes in the water. It’s one of the safest places you can travel and there is so much to do you won’t even notice you’re on your own. And then there’s the plethora of micro-restaurants and bars you’ll be able to experience which just isn’t possible when you’re travelling in a bigger group. If you’re not convinced yet, here are 8 things to do in Tokyo if you’re travelling solo.

We probably could have called this article ‘Neighbourhoods To Check Out In Tokyo That Aren’t Shinjuku, Ginza, ShibuyaOr Roppongi’, because 99% of travellers are going to hit all of those multiple times. And there’s nothing wrong with that—there’s a reason Shinjuku and Shibuya draw millions of selfie-stick wielding visitors every year. They’re amazing. But if it’s your second or third time in Tokyo, or you just want to branch out and see something beyond the well-trodden tourist routes, try these on for size.