Things have been slowly looking better for Japan and I have spent the first two months of the year busy exploring new places around Japan – virtually or not. The allure of Japan is simply endless. Today, I will be introducing a new itinerary to explore the Central Japan region.

We will be looking at 4 main prefectures: Gifu, Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui, with Nagoya city as the base for this travel itinerary. The Central Japan Region is a year-round destination that offers an abundance of nature and delicious food every season. My favorite is still winter, though, given the inland of Central Japan gets plenty of snowfall in the colder months, making it a magical wonderland especially for tropical creatures like me! read more

Growing up in our tropical climate, seeing and touching snow for the first time is always a memorable moment. Terribly exciting, in fact, that often we forget to wear gloves and freeze our hands off! My past encounters with snow have not always been intentional though; it happened by chance either too early or too late in the season to fully enjoy it.

This trip completely changed my perception of winter holidays and we hope, others too. With a little bit of planning and preparing, snow time can be so much fun in Japan even if it’s your first time. Perhaps especially so when it’s your first time! All these years, autumn has always been my favourite time to visit Japan but now I’m not so convinced anymore. Let us take you through our recent snow journey in different prefectures and discover the joy of winter in our favourite destination – Japan. read more

Kanazawa, the capital city of Ishikawa prefecture, is best known to be culturally rich and its beautifully preserved historical townscape.

The most touristy of all, is probably Higashi Chaya (東茶屋街), a well-preserved traditional district that used to serve as tea houses in Edo period where the geisha performed.

When it comes to Ishikawa, most people know it by the city of gold – Kanazawa (金沢).

There are much more to explore on this prefecture located on the Japan Sea coast. The first stop for me was Wajima (輪島), a historical city known for its Asaichi (morning market) and lacquerware.