A look at the traditional farmhouses now commonly called kominka—“old folk dwellings”—a name that underscores their age. They were built for living, working, and passing knowledge from one generation to the next.
A journey that links the bustling heart of Tokyo with a small community on the city’s mountainous western fringe reveals the story of a pioneering watch company and the traditional artisanship that helped inspire one of its latest collections.
The Greco-Irish writer became Japan’s master of macabre storytelling—and the city of Matsue is the perfect place for a close encounter.
Royal Hotel Co., Ltd. has announced plans to open Noir by RIHGA Kobe Arima, a new hot spring resort under the Noir by RIHGA brand, in the Arima area of Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. The opening is scheduled for late February 2028. Making the most of its location along the Arima River, the property is planned as a luxury hotel where guests can enjoy seasonal scenery from their rooms, relax in Arima’s famous hot springs, and take time to savor local cuisine at a leisurely pace.
Online travel agency Booking.com has released its list of ten “Travel Predictions” for 2026. Based on a survey of around 30,000 travelers from 33 countries and regions around the world, the theme is “The Era of YOU.” The report highlights new styles of travel that combine technology with individual tastes and values, such as trips that immerse travelers in fantasy worlds, stays where robots handle household chores, and wellness getaways that incorporate beauty-focused technology.
The digital art museum teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM, located in Toyosu, Tokyo, has been named “Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction” at the World Travel Awards 2025, one of the most prestigious honors in the global travel industry. This marks its second win, following the award in 2023. Since opening seven years and three months ago, the museum has welcomed over 10 million visitors, with about half being international travelers.
From November 21 to December 14, 2025, Yokohama’s Sankeien Garden will open the path behind the Choshukaku Pavilion to the public for a limited time at the peak of the autumn foliage season. Golden ginkgo leaves and crimson maples surround the garden’s historical buildings, bathing the grounds in the rich colors of fall. Visitors can also enjoy a wide variety of seasonal events—including exhibitions, lectures, nature observation sessions, traditional sarumawashi (monkey performances), and cafés—making it a terrific place to experience autumn.
Hamura City, along the middle reaches of the Tama River, is a compact municipality where people and water systems have long coexisted—and where diverse wildlife and human life still share the landscape. In the Edo period, excavation of the Tamagawa Josui aqueduct brought water to Edo. From the Meiji through the Showa eras, construction of the Murayama Reservoir and Yamaguchi Reservoir made Hamura the starting point for sending water to Tokyo—and remain as sources that sustain daily life. Through tours that trace the route of the former Hamura–Yamaguchi Light Railway that was used to build those reservoirs, the Hamura City Tourism Association shares the region’s role and history.
