The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Japan

Nagoya doesn’t live up to its boring reputation.

I visited ‘Japan’s most boring city’ and found it was the opposite

The highlight of this city is not what it has, but what it doesn’t have: tourists.

  • Paul Marshall
Traditional Japanese udon noodles with soft boiled eggs.

The best way to eat udon noodles is something we don’t do in Australia

Hot udon noodles are great, but for the true, unadulterated taste of udon, try them cold.

  • Ben Groundwater
Shogun-era Matsumoto Castle.

Want a taste of Shogun-era Japan? It’s harder to find than you’d think

There’s not much shogun-era history left in Japan but Matsumoto, north-west of Tokyo, is a great place to relive samurai rule and shogunate warfare.

  • Ben Groundwater
Seiganto-ji Temple and Nachi waterfall, a short walk on the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route.

Japan’s extraordinary answer to the Camino trail

Japan’s Kumano Kodo is one of only two UNESCO World Heritage-listed pilgrimages in the world.

  • Rob McFarland
The bright lights of Shinjuku.

They say four days in Tokyo is plenty. I firmly disagree

You could hop from city to city, kids in tow, frantically ticking off Japan’s main sights. But here’s why three weeks of staying put in one city is perfect.

  • Barry Divola
Advertisement
Pork katsu curry at  KARE, West Melbourne.

Japan’s version of curry came from India, but not Indians

Served one of four ways, the dish containing rich gravy is mild in spice but heavy on umami.

  • Ben Groundwater
To the point … the Lamp Light Books Hotel is, well, an open book.

Sleeping in a bookstore seems romantic, but the reality is no fairytale

It’s an affordable stay in expensive Japan, which is a plus. But the room is functional and not much else.

  • Julia D'Orazio
A long wait may be on the menu.

If there’s one bad thing about visiting Japan, it’s this

Anyone who has been to Japan has no doubt had this experience: you find a great restaurant, only to be told you can’t come in.

  • Paul Marshall
Storybook bridge on the trail.

Stunning Japanese hike is like stepping into an (animated) movie

This is a forest preserved in time, a world where dragonflies flit, minuscule flowers bloom and giant tree roots hide the would-be tiny houses of forest creatures.

  • Penny Watson
The sun is out but the snow is deep.

Swallowed by white, this is a different sort of hike

In Japan, but not for skiing, it’s amazing what comes into focus when you’re entirely swallowed by white.

  • Steve Madgwick