物語 · The journal
Articles & Guides
Seasonal stories and practical guides for travelling Japan, published as the seasons turn.
Kawadoko: Dining Over the River in Kyoto's Summer Heat
Kawadoko season turns Kyoto's rivers into open-air dining rooms each summer — when to book Kibune's platforms and the Kamogawa's riverside decks.
Gion Matsuri: A Guide to Kyoto's Month-Long Summer Festival
Gion Matsuri 2026 runs all of July in Kyoto — here's when to see the Yamaboko Junko float parade, Yoiyama nights and the best street food.
Furano's Lavender Fields: Japan's Purple Summer in Hokkaido
Furano's lavender fields peak in mid-July — here's when to see Farm Tomita, Biei's flower hills and Hokkaido's Blue Pond at their best.
Climbing Mount Fuji: Japan's Short Summer Window
Mount Fuji's trails open for barely ten weeks a year. Here's how to time the climb, pick a trail and catch sunrise from the summit.
Kakigori and the Taste of a Japanese Summer
From queue-worthy shaved ice in Tokyo's Yanaka to flowing noodles on a Kyoto riverbank, here's how Japan eats its way through the heat.
Obon: When Japan's Ancestors Come Home
Every August, Japan lights fires and sets lanterns on rivers to guide its ancestors' spirits home for the Obon festival.
Tanabata: Japan's Star Festival
The story of Tanabata, Japan's star festival — wishes tied to bamboo, streets buried in streamers, and when to catch it: 7 July or early August.
Tsukimi: Japan's Autumn Moon-Viewing
Tsukimi is Japan's autumn moon-viewing night — when it falls, the dango and silver-grass traditions, and where to see it done beautifully in Kyoto.
Before the Sakura: Japan's Plum Blossom Season
Weeks before the cherry trees stir, Japan's plum blossoms open in the cold. When and where to see ume season, from Mito's Kairaku-en to Kyoto's shrines.
Beyond Sakura: Japan's Other Spring Blooms
Japan's spring outlasts the sakura: wisteria at Ashikaga, nemophila at Hitachi Seaside Park, moss phlox under Fuji — when and where to catch each one.
Hatsumode: Welcoming the New Year in Japan
How Japan's New Year really works — hatsumode shrine visits, 108 temple bells at midnight, year-crossing noodles and the year's first sunrise.
Japan in Summer: Fireworks, Festivals and Beating the Heat
Japan in summer: the big festivals from Gion Matsuri to Nebuta, the best fireworks nights, and how to beat the July–August heat.
Shun: Eating Japan's Autumn in Season
What to eat in Japan in autumn — grilled sanma, matsutake, Tamba chestnuts and new-crop rice, and the Kyoto and Kanazawa markets to find them in.
The 24 Sekki: Reading Japan's Micro-Seasons
Japan's traditional calendar has 24 sekki and 72 micro-seasons — from 'east wind melts the ice' to 'white dew.' How to read them, and travel by them.
Tsuyu: Hydrangeas and the Beauty of Japan's Rainy Season
Japan's rainy season is secretly a great time to visit — blue hydrangeas at Kamakura's Meigetsu-in, the Hakone hydrangea train, half-empty temples.
Winter Illuminations: Japan After Dark
Japan's best winter illuminations — Nabana no Sato's sea of LEDs, Kobe Luminarie, Sapporo's snow festival and Otaru's candlelit Snow Light Path.
Chasing Autumn Leaves: A Koyo Primer
When and where to see koyo, Japan's autumn leaves — from Daisetsuzan's first colour in mid-September to Kyoto's Tofuku-ji blazing in late November.
Cherry Blossom Viewing Beyond the Crowds
Where to see cherry blossoms in Japan without the crowds — Chidorigafuchi's moat boats, Hirosaki Castle's petal rafts, and how to time the bloom.
Winter Onsen Towns Worth the Snow
Japan's best winter onsen towns for snow-viewing baths — Ginzan's gas-lit ryokan, Kinosaki's bath-hopping, Kusatsu, and the Jigokudani snow monkeys.