Saiyu Travel Japan

15/11/2024

Kurama and Kibune are among the most famous power spots in Kyoto and also popular hiking trails which form part of the Kyoto Trail.

Kibune Shrine is the head shrine of the Water Gods, the source of life for all things. From there, it is a two-hour hike to Kuramadera Temple through Mt. Kurama that has the legend of mythological creature known as “Tengu”.

Hikers can enjoy beautiful autumn foliage and spiritual mountain path at a time.

12/11/2024

made perfect - literally. Served beautifully in traditional setting, paired with Japanese food of mid-autumn - perfection attained.
Tonoike Shuzo sake brewery , applause❣️

#гайдзингенки

#インバウンドマーケティング 🇯🇵 #
#日本料理 #едавЯпонии #和食 .

True hospitality and enterpreneurial spirit of merchant artisan from Shiga prefecture, who had audacity to move to Mashiko in Tochigi prefecture, lives on.

Naturally, the batches with multiple awards and consecutive international awards instantly become very scarce.

Perfection, consistency and sustainability is what really matters for the generations of these in , . International recognition and consecutive awards just follow great work. Our staff dispatched to explore the ambiance of the brewery and the products returned deeply, genuinely impressed.

10/11/2024

A male Ezo sika deer with large antlers in , taken during our Wildlife Photography Tour in September.

06/11/2024

is a town known as one of in where common people have lived for a long time.

After a big fire in the 17th century, many small temples were relocated in this area, and Yanaka became a temple town as well.

With many buildings, stores, and restaurants, Yanaka retains the atmosphere of the good old days, and is a great place just to stroll around.

03/11/2024

An annual event of “Japan Bird Festival” was held in Teganuma park, Chiba prefecture this weekend. Although Saturday was rainy unfortunately, it was quite sunny and warm day on Sunday. Many visitors came not only birders but also families, couples, foreigners and so on.

We were so impressed by some kids who are very familiar with birds and It’s putting adults to shame.

Many local soul food stands, shops selling souvenirs related to birds, lectures from birds experts etc. A lot of things within 2days and we had a really nice weekend!

31/10/2024

The Oku-Iya Valley is a truly remote region of Tokushima prefecture. People in this area cultivated mountain slopes, piled up stone walls, and created a little flat land, where they built houses and fields. Ochiai Village, located in the area called Oku-Iya, is one of the mountain villages built in this way.

Traditional house consist of a main house with a flat roof and thatched roof, and a row of outbuildings like barns. The main house is basically composed of “uchi” (living space) and “omote” (guest room), and between these two rooms, there are two rooms called “nakanoma” and “nema”. This layout is also a characteristic of Iya-style residential house. The walls are earthen, but the outside is uniquely finished by covering it with woven split bamboo called hishagi-dake.

This remote village has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Historical Buildings.

27/10/2024

is a post town of route with stone-paved path that still retain the atmosphere of a medieval era. This place is the birthplace of Shimazaki Toson, one of Japan’s greatest writers of the modern era, and there are many spots associated with him.

Visitors to Magomejuku can enjoy walking through the cafes and souvenir shops that line both sides of the slope and local delicacy, gohei-mochi which are traditional local rice cakes with sweet & sour sauce originating in the mountain region of central Japan.

24/10/2024

We stayed at Karasawa in for 2nights that boasts some of the most beautiful autumn colors in Japan. Wonderful scenic spots to enjoy the 360 degree panorama view around there. Climbed up to Tenguhara Glacier Park, where we could see the remains of the former glacier terrain and the iconic Yarigatake mountain towering in front of us. Great place not only for hikers but also landscape photographers.

18/10/2024

Swipe ➡️ and go behind the scenes of our “Brown bear and Hokkaido Autumn foliage photography tour with Paul Whitton”.

The tour ended with great success. We believe everyone enjoyed the sighting of various kinds of wildlife including Brown bears, Red foxes, Ezo shika deer, White-tailed eagles, Japanese Pika as well as endangered Blakiston’s fish owl.

Nice Autumn colors in Mt. National Park was additional feature of this period. Autumn has arrived in and now it is going down to the mainland of Japan from the North to the South.

Thank you very much for everyone and thank you Paul, we really appreciate your lots of efforts!

15/10/2024

temple in prefecture flourished under the veneration and devotion of the aristocracy during the Heian period and the Tokugawa sh**un family during the Edo period. The main hall which has beautiful wooden stage, was rebuilt by Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa sh**un. The 399 stone steps leading up to the main hall, with lanterns hanging from the ceiling, is one of the features of Hasedera temple not found in other temples.

This temple is also known as a “temple where monks live and breathe”. There are many daily events, such as early morning and evening services, where visitors can see the monks performing their daily duties.

10/10/2024

It is the best season for foliage now in the mountains of . We traveled northward from to , , and , traversing four prefectures in the Tohoku region. In addition to five of Japan’s 100 most famous mountains, we climbed a total of seven mountains in one trip. The autumn foliage of the same mountain varies depending on its elevation and terrain. We thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful mountain scenery.

Also This region is very famous for many high-quality hot springs. Climbing mountains and hot springs are great combinations! After climbing, stayed at a hot spring inn every day and enjoy the delicious local cuisine. It was a luxurious mountain trip with full of hot springs!

06/10/2024

Brown bears in peninsula photographed during September tour. In this season, they often come down to the shore to catch salmons going up stream from river mouth.

The salmon run in autumn is a very important natural cycle for brown bears, which need to store nutrients for hibernation.

01/10/2024

Swipe ➡️ and go behind the scenes of our “Kumano Kodo Nakahechi trekking” in prefecture.

Kodo is the general name for pilgrimage routes leading to the three Kumano shrines (Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha).

When the Kumano Sanzan faith flourished, this Nakahechi route was considered an official route, and was followed by emperors, court ladies, and even commoners. Most of the paths are steep, but they were favored by the people because it was said that the more suffering one endured, the greater the blessings.

Galicia state in Spain, the final destination of the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrimage Route, registered as World Heritage sites, and Wakayama Prefecture, the final destination of the Kumano Kodo, established an enduring friendship as the final destination of ancient roads. In 1998, they concluded a sister road affiliation for both ancient roads.

Although the religious and cultural connotations are different, they have something in common in that they both aim at the same destination and “if the pilgrimage is fulfilled, the soul is saved and revived.

28/09/2024

We are glad to announce 2025 Brown Bear & Autumn Wildlife Photography in Hokkaido led by professional photographer Marco Ronconi.

This 9 days 8 nights tour that starts on the 4th of September next year provides many opportunities to photograph in , its Eastern part (UNESCO-protected National Park) and Central part (Mt.Daisetsuzan National Park).

Although many people may believe that autumn in Japan peaks in November, in Hokkaido much further to the north than main island if Japan things are quite different. Autumn arrives in Hokkaido in September, and animals, especially mammals, become very active as they get ready for cold winter. In addition to encounters with brown bears from the safety of small boat, you can expect to have encounters with other species- red foxes, Ezo shika deer, Japanese pika, and Blackiston’s fish owl.

Salmon come back to Hokkaido rivers and swim upstream to get to their spawning sites. This is when bears gather along river mouth to scoop up the spawning salmon. Bears’ meal leftovers nourish the soil, and new plants sprout in spring.

If you are interested in joining us for this wildlife photography tour, please visit our website for more details.

26/09/2024

Watarase-yusuichi is the largest detention basin in Japan, covering an area of 33 square kilometers. It is a vast expanse of reed beds, lakes, marshes, and riverside forests. 1,000 species of plants, 260 species of birds, 1,700 species of insects, and 50 species of fish have been recorded. Because of this rich biota, the area has been designated as a registered wetland under the Ramsar Convention....

Watarase-yusuichi is the largest detention basin in Japan, covering an area of 33 square kilometers. It is a vast expanse of reed beds, lakes, marshes, and riverside forests. 1,000 species of plants, 260 species of birds, 1,700 species of insects, and 50 species of fish have been recorded. Because o...

25/09/2024

, the historic old capital of , still has many hidden and wonderful sights that not many tourists visit yet. It can never be said that a famous place is better than a lesser known place.

Even within walking distance from the famous , there are many quiet and beautiful temples. Beautiful mossy gardens, historic streets, and bamboo grove which is different from the one of Arashiyama, are still only visited by a limited number of tourists.

If you plan your trip with plenty of time to spare, you will be able to visit even these hidden treasures.

19/09/2024

, rural town of , is one of the hidden gem of this ancient capital.
A spiritual atmosphere permeates the garden of temple, and there are a number of charming Bodhisattva stone statues called “Warabe jizo” that peek out from the moss. Some of them may not be able to find it unless you look carefully but they welcome visitors with their soothing smiles.

This place is especially famous for its autumn foliage which comes about a week earlier than in central Kyoto.

If you come to Kyoto a little early for the autumn leaves, this rural town is definitely the place to visit “!

16/09/2024

Enjoyed swimming with friendly Indo-Pacific bottlenose in , islands.

It was a fantastic and spectacular moment with this friendly marine mammal in their natural habitat!

September is one of the best months to experience the “Bonin Blue”, super blue underwater world of Ogasawara.