Japan

Everything in this amazing land is so different from Western norms, you’re bound to find yourself pleasantly disoriented as you attempt to navigate it.

On a bicycle, you’re free to pedal at your own pace. You can hop on and off to push through the crush of people at a fish market, pause for quiet reflection at a Shinto shrine or take in the beauty of a Buddhist temple.

It’s 4pm in Tokyo and I’m deep underground, a puzzled expression on my face.

After 8 years based here, I can say that Japan rivals many nations with its budget friendliness. Here are my favorite travel hacks for sightseeing and eating out.

Our Shinkansen bullet train to Takayama rushes through the bellies of mountains, past snow-weary evergreens and rice fields resting under sheets of pure, white snow. Small alpine towns race by…

There are some epic breaks that don’t require a three thousand dollar flight or six hour boat ride from the nearest town. Trust me.

Beat the post-holiday blues by recreating your travels in your own kitchen.

So what’s so good about Japanese trains anyway? Answer: just about everything.

Convenience store fare? Food from vending machines? Isn’t travel all about eating authentic street food, finding hole-in-the-wall taco joints and dining in tiny eateries that have been in the same…