Traditional

Where to go for a Tea Ceremony?

From the old merchants house from the Nineteenth Century, to an experience linking tea with Samurai and Geisha, here is a selection of some unique places for a Tea Ceremony, a quintessential Kyoto experience.

By Bonson Lam

Featured Temples & Shrines

Yamagata: Spiritualism and Nature

Yamagata connects natural sightseeing destinations with spirituality effortlessly. Discover inner peace like the local monks have by exploring forests, waterfalls and rivers.

Gardens & Parks

Ohara Village

Retrace the steps of a forgotten princess in this sublime mountainside village just 40 mins north of Kyoto

By Bonson Lam

Festivals

Wazuka - Japanese Tea Town

Wazuka is a traditional Japanese tea town, with picturesque scenery and mind-clearing, heart-warming Japanese tea. Its tea industry dates back more than 800 years with 300 families making tea today. There is a teatopia festival each November, and it makes a great day trip from Kyoto or Nara. Why not try its tea flavoured soba.

By Simona Zavadckyte

Historical

Nanki Shirahama's Sandanbeki Cave

Sandanbeki Cave is close to Wakayama's famous Shirahama Beach, at the bottom of a beautiful cliff-side view point. Visitors can explore this impressive cave that was once a hidden pirate's lair.

By Sandra Isaka

Traditional

47 Ronin Memorial in Tokyo

The memorial to the legendary 47 Ronin at Sengakuji Temple in Tokyo.

By Elena Lisina

Museums

Taga Fertility Shrine & Sex Museum

Whimsical or creepy, but definitely one of the weirdest places on Shikoku

By Bronwyn O'Neill