naoyasaijo– Author –

Every spring, while the rest of the world rushes to Tokyo and Kyoto for cherry blossoms, a quieter, more spectacular miracle unfolds 300 miles to the north. In Tohoku — Japan’s northeastern region — the sakura season arrives two to...

There is a single pine tree standing on the Iwate coast that changed Japan. In March 2011, a 70,000-tree forest called Takata-Matsubara was almost entirely destroyed by a tsunami that struck the town of Rikuzentakata with a wave reaching...

Tucked away in the mountains of southern Yamagata Prefecture, Yonezawa is one of Japan’s most historically significant yet criminally undervisited cities. This is where the legendary samurai lord Uesugi Kenshin established his doma...

If you’re traveling to Japan and you love dogs — truly love them — then Odate is a pilgrimage site you simply cannot miss. This small city in northern Akita Prefecture is the birthplace of the Akita Inu, one of the world’s mo...

Imagine gliding along the rugged Sea of Japan coastline as dramatic cliffs plunge into sapphire-blue water, while ancient beech forests cling to mountains that have stood untouched for millennia — all from the comfort of a beautifully de...

Deep in the mountains where Aomori and Akita Prefectures meet, covering a vast sweep of ancient highland, lies one of the last great wild places in East Asia. Shirakami-Sanchi (白神山地) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves the...

Let’s be honest: Fukushima is the most unfairly judged travel destination in all of Japan. Mention the name to most Westerners and you’ll see a flicker of worry — visions of disaster zones and lingering radiation. But here...

Every September, something magical transforms one of Japan’s most livable cities. Sendai’s tree-lined Jozenji-dori Avenue — a broad boulevard shaded by twin rows of towering zelkova trees — becomes the stage for one of Asia&#...

What if we told you that one of Japan’s most exciting contemporary art destinations isn’t in Tokyo, Osaka, or Kyoto — but tucked away in a quiet regional city in Aomori Prefecture, surrounded by some of Tohoku’s most br...

A castle on the hill, steam rising from the streets below, vineyard rows stretching across the valley, and a festival in February where townsfolk drench performers in icy water for good luck — welcome to Kaminoyama Onsen, one of Yamagata...