Travel | All About Japan

GO WILD TOKYO 6 / A Members-Only Cabin in Hinohara Village Where You Learn from Fire and Nature

Hinohara Village lies at Tokyo’s western edge, with forests covering roughly 90 percent of its land. Despite being only about 90 minutes by car from central Tokyo, the area boasts an untouched natural environment ideal for trekking, river play, and fishing. It’s the only municipality in Tokyo (excluding the island areas) officially designated as a “village,” where traditional mountain hamlet scenery and culture still endure. Once sustained by forestry and mountain worship, the community today is welcoming new hubs—cafés, saunas, accommodations—and bringing in fresh sensibilities. It’s an area to watch for it blend of history and new ideas.

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Tokyo

GO WILD TOKYO 5 / A 1-Night, 2-Day Camp Where Art and Nature Meet

Kodaira lies near the heart of Tokyo’s North Tama area, where the legacy of water and greenery still runs deep. At the center of this story is the Tamagawa Josui canal—an essential part of Kodaira’s landscape. Built in the Edo period, the canal provided a stable water supply that made possible the cultivation of new fields, the growth of settlements, and, ultimately, the emergence of Kodaira as a town. Even today, its history still lives on in the canal-side calm that defines the area.

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Tokyo

GO WILD TOKYO 4/ Ogasawara—Another Side of Adventure Beyond the Sea

Roughly 1,000 kilometers south of the capital—24 hours by ferry—the Ogasawara Islands are a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site famed for the endemic wildlife and pristine ecosystems. In 2023, Kanaka Village, a “luxury-eco” hideaway designed for travelers seeking to reconnect with nature, opened on the largest inhabited island of Chichijima, in the remote area of Kitafukurozawa.

Books

Christopher Harding: Bringing Japan’s History and Culture to a Wide Audience

An interview with Christopher Harding, historian and author, who explores Japan’s culture and history through books that blend narrative flair with scholarship.

Traditional Japan

Tochigi

Unlock Tochigi｜Three-day Tour Exploring Tochigi, Japan

Tochigi Prefecture deserves to be on every traveler’s wish list. Just two hours by train from Tokyo, it is blessed with natural beauty and a rich history.

Japanese Wine

Niigata

Niigata Wine Coast: A Wine Region Built From Scratch

The Niigata Wine Coast may just be the most beautiful wine region in Japan, and is perfect for a weekend getaway.

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Tokyo

Uncharted Tokyo 3｜Hahajima’s Sustainable Farm: Where Tourism Meets Conservation

Taekoni Farm, the eco-tourism project I was visiting, is located on Hahajima (Mother Island), the second largest of the Ogasawara Islands, some 1,000 kilometers south of mainland Tokyo. Here, tour-guides-turned-farmers Taeko Morosawa and Toshinori Konishi teach visitors about sustainable farming and conservation through tours and hands-on experiences with local farmers such as Kazuo Orita, who had kindly offered me the mango.

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Tokyo

Uncharted Tokyo 2｜Satologue: Revitalizing the Ome Line and Okutama

A Bucolic Retreat in Tokyo Lush, forested mountainsides, cool clean river valleys and farms are not what most people associate with the metropolis of Tokyo. But just under two hours by train from the busy streets and high-rises of Shinjuku is the Okutama area, where the lands around the local Ome train line are being revitalized, making use of vacant lots and buildings, while also rebuilding community, and passing on precious traditions.