The places in-between: Nagasaki For 220 years, Japan was largely closed to the outside world. Only those the Shogunate permitted could trade, visit or leave. All trading ports closed – except Nagasaki. The city was one of Japan’s few cultural and commercial exchange points for over two centuries. Today, as a result, it’s one of the most culturally rich places in Japan – in a way that makes it more “foreign” than other cities, while still feeling deeply Japanese. With novel ideas, goods and trade, Nagasaki became the crucible for Japan’s industrial revolution that began in the 1860s – largely down to the alliance between Scotsman Thomas Glover and the company that would become Mitsubishi. As a city, it’s home to Japan’s oldest asphalt road and first steam train; as a prefecture, J ...

In our series of Steal this Cultural Adventure blogs, we share some of our clients’ and travel specialists’ favourite trips, so you can take them to use for your own inspiration. One of our team, Grant, recently planned a trip combining Japan with South Korea. Working with our sister brand, InsideAsia, this trip highlights the best of each country for first-time travellers – while surfacing the differences and similarities between these complicated neighbours.  Read more from Grant, below.   Combining Japan and South Korea in one trip is one of my favourite trips to plan.  A local guide once told me that the best way to understand the differences between Japan and Korea is to look at their gardens. In Japan, they’re created beautifully, with meticulous structure and order in mind; ...

As we celebrate InsideJapan's 25th anniversary in 2025, it's remarkable to reflect on how much has changed since our inception. What began as a passion project by Alastair and Simon has grown alongside Japan's tourism industry, which saw inbound visitors increase from fewer than 5 million in 2000 to nearly 37 million in 2024 – a new record.  While this surge has brought economic benefits – contributing 44 trillion yen (approximately £231 billion) to Japan's economy in 2024 and supporting around 6 million jobs – the distribution of these benefits has been uneven. Satellite data indicates that 80% of travellers visit just 10% of the world's tourist destinations, a pattern mirrored in Japan. With the country's tourism strategy aiming for 60 million visitors by 2030, the concentration of to ...

The places in-between: Toyama It’s easy to categorise Toyama simply: a traditional, beautiful and charming corner of Japan. Known for its woodcarving heritage, incredible coast-side sushi and epic alpine landscapes, it’s all these things. But its true character goes beyond centuries-old temples and quaint shopping streets. It’s a region where old charm meets modern ambition – and where tourists are a pivotal part of a new era.   One of New York Times top 52 places to visit in 2025, the Toyama prefecture is pricking up international ears. The Shinkansen bullet train line seamlessly connects Tokyo to the Toyama region in just two hours, and, thanks to the recent extension, Kanazawa and Fukui. But, the real story of Toyama goes beyond its convenience – it’s in the sheer skill and tenacity ...

We’re going to be honest, being gluten-free in Japan is challenging. Gluten intolerances are rare among Japanese people, soy sauce is used in almost everything, and there’s a fair bit of misunderstanding around what a gluten-free diet means in practice.  If you’re coeliac and can’t risk any cross contamination at all, visiting Japan is going to be harder work – and you’ll need to gather as much information as possible to work out whether it’s the right destination for you (especially if food is important to you when you travel).  We also know (and celebrate) that some gluten-free travellers are determined to visit Japan despite the adjustments needed. We’ve put together a gluten-free guide to Japan, based on our knowledge of living and working there, to help arm you with as much knowledg ...