Literally, the “North Sea District” though “District” could also be taken as “journey” (and that makes it sound more whimsical!), this island is the second largest in the Japanese archipelago and was originally inhabited by the Ainu.How to Use Buses in Japan: 5 Tips for Fearless Travel in Japan
As someone who never a day in her life in America rode a bus, they can be intimidating. Sure, I used the subway or metro in bigger cities, but let’s …
200 Famous Castles in Japan: How to Best Stamp Rally!
Oh, Japan. Land of got-to-collect-them-all, including hundreds of castles in varying levels of existence. There are thousands of ruins from almost indistinguishable mounds to castle walls with no castle structures. …
See 4 Amazing Snow Festival not just Hokkaido’s largest
Sapporo Snow Festival is the largest winter festival in Hokkaido but don’t waste a trip to Japan’s largest without seeing some of the others as well! Conveniently, there are FOUR …
9 Things to do in Otaru: Day trip from Sapporo, Japan
Otaru (小樽) is a small port town located 30-45 minutes northwest of Sapporo by train. It’s a nice stopover on the way to Niseko which is how I first discovered …
What is Yosakoi? You’ll Love Japan’s High Energy Dance
The first time I saw Yosakoi (よさこい) was when I was in Japan on a work trip in 2013. I had no idea what it was called. I couldn’t read …
What is Obon? Japan’s Festival of the Dead
If you are in Japan in August, most likely you will stumble upon a festival in the evening time. Obon – Japan’s Festival of the Dead, was officially from August …