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The Navigatio Your travel guide to Japan 🇯🇵
Free itineraries, travel guides and more. thenavigatio.com Japan travel website

12/02/2025

I've seen the question about what apps are handy in Japan a lot lately, so I thought I'd re-share this guide from last year :)

Personally, I don’t think you NEED all these apps to travel comfortably. As long as you download Google Maps and Google Translate (or Papago), you’ll be completely fine. These are the two apps I can’t travel to Japan without.

However, we all like a bit of technological help every now and then. Some of these apps can be very useful in certain situations. I’ve tried to keep this list free of fluff and only added apps that my husband and I actually use when we’re in Japan:

https://thenavigatio.com/travel-apps-for-japan/

11/02/2025

A lovely cafe I finally got to check out during my last Tokyo visit! It used to be a sento, which has been transformed into a cafe - the old bath and mural are still in tact!

📌 rébon Kaisaiyu

10/02/2025

I managed to visit a lot of new onsen towns last year, including Arima Onsen! This is one of Japan's oldest hot spring towns and is famous for its two types of hot spring water: Kinsen (gold) and Ginsen (silver).

You can stay overnight, but there are options to enjoy the special hot spring water as a day guest too. Especially since it's quite easy to get to Arima Onsen from Kobe, Kyoto and Osaka, it's definitely one to consider!

https://thenavigatio.com/arima-onsen-day-trip-itinerary/

09/02/2025

If you happen to find yourself in Tokyo's Minato ward, don't forget to look down!

Last year, five Sailor Moon manhole covers were installed. Parts of this area were actually featured in the manga and anime, so the location makes perfect sense.

I went out to find them last year and put together a handy map so you can find them too! I've also added some extra info about each manhole cover and the importance of each location in regards to Sailor Moon.

https://thenavigatio.com/sailor-moon-manhole-covers/

08/02/2025

Nara is a popular day trip from Kyoto or Osaka, but shockingly, Nara Prefecture only accounts for 0.2% of foreign overnight stays in Japan 😲

Last year, I got to stay overnight in Nara Prefecture for a few days and go beyond the deer park - it was AMAZING!

Doing so, I got a chance to see the deer park practically empty (before 10-11am, so I didn't even have to wake up super early), and it also gave me a chance to go a bit further South and see some more of Nara's sights. Surpringly, these other spots weren't just stunning, they were also super quiet!

Putting together a plan for your own trip to Japan can be overwhelming, and it may seem easier to stay with the regular Golden Route, especially for your first time. However, making a small detour and adding off-the-beaten-path areas like Nara into your plan can make a world of difference.

I think adding one or two extra days in Nara Prefecture, especially in the South or Middle, is a great idea for first-time visitors. Since Kyoto/Osaka with a day trip to Nara are often already on first-time visitors’ plans, an extra day in Nara can be planned almost effortlessly. Plus, it will give you a chance to see parts of Japan that aren’t overcrowded.

This week, I published a new guide on why I think you should consider staying overnight in Nara, along with some inspiration on what else to see in Nara Prefecture once you're done with Nara Deer Park.

https://thenavigatio.com/why-you-should-stay-overnight-in-nara/

07/02/2025

🚨 Nikko World Heritage Area & Nikko All Area Passes suspended for April 20th 2025 and beyond 🚨

The Nikko World Heritage Pass & Nikko All Area Passes departing on or after April 20th 2025 have been suspended due to an upcoming price increase.

It has not been announced when sales will resume for dates beyond April 20th. If you've bought the pass for a later date, you can contact Tobu Top Tours for a refund.

I've just updated this guide to reflect the news, and will update it again once I get any new info regarding sales for April 20th and beyond!

https://thenavigatio.com/is-the-nikko-pass-worth-it/

07/02/2025

Updated my Miyajima day trip itinerary for 2025! ⛩️

If you're planning to visit Hiroshima, don't forget to add a day trip to Miyajima to your itinerary. You can get there within an hour and witness one of the three most aesthetic views in Japan 🇯🇵

Some of the spots included in this itinerary:
🌸 Itsukushima Shrine
🌸 Cafe with a beautiful view of Miyajima
🌸 Mt. Misen & the hike down
🌸 Daisho-In Temple
🌸 How to see the "floating" Grand Torii Gate and walk underneath it
and more...

You can read the updated version below:

https://thenavigatio.com/miyajima-day-trip-itinerary/

06/02/2025

Over the last year or so, I've gotten obsessed with finding these beautiful Pokemon manhole covers all across Japan 🗾

There are over 200 of them, and new ones are being installed all the time. It's partly done to encourage tourism in different, more rural parts of Japan. They've definitely put some towns on the map for me!

It's almost like being a real Pokemon trainer, hunting them down and catching them all 😉

Here are some of my favourite ones!

05/02/2025

I visited a LOT of new places last year in Japan, but Koyasan has to be one of the most special ones. Around 1.5 hours from Osaka by public transport, Koyasan (or Mount Koya) is one of the most important spiritual spots in Japan.

It is the centre of Shingon Buddhism, home to the largest cemetery in Japan and the place where Kobo Daishi entered his eternal meditation nearly 1,200 years ago.

Some of the best things to do/check out in Koyasan include:

🇯🇵 Go on an evening tour of Okunoin with one of Koyasan's monks
🇯🇵 Stay overnight in one of the active Buddhist temples in the town
🇯🇵 Try Shojin Ryori, the traditional cuisine of the monks

I've written all about Koyasan, how to get there, where to stay and what else to do in this special town.

https://thenavigatio.com/things-to-do-in-koyasan/

04/02/2025

One of my big goals this year is to share more places in Japan away from the Golden Route that you may not have heard of before!

However, you cannot search for places you don't know exist. To help give you some inspiration, I've created a link that automatically takes you to a RANDOM article on my website covering a location away from the Golden Route!

(Yes, it's random every time, so you can use it as often as you like to find new locations. And yes, I'm constantly adding new articles to this feature!)

https://thenavigatio.com/random

Pictured below:
1. Arima Onsen
2. Kawagoe
3. Beppu
4. Kinosaki Onsen
5. Miyazaki

03/02/2025

If you only have one day to visit Nikko, check out this route/itinerary!

Nikko is located in the Tochigi Prefecture – around 150 km from Tokyo (around 2–3 hours by train). This mountainous area makes for a great trip from Japan’s capital city. There is tons of history and nature, and it turned into one of my favourite places near Tokyo.

Nikko is located in the Tochigi Prefecture – around 150 km from Tokyo (around 2–3 hours by train). This mountainous area makes for a great trip from Japan’s capital city. There is tons of history and nature, and it has become one of my favourite places near Tokyo.

https://thenavigatio.com/nikko-day-trip-itinerary/

02/02/2025

As the Golden Route (Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka) is getting busier and busier, I'm hoping to share some inspiration for other areas in Japan that you may want to check out in the future!

This 7-day Kyushu itinerary was put together by ShaSha, who has been living in Kyushu for 6+ years. She knows all the best spots to visit, and takes you to all seven prefectures in Kyushu in this guide!

Have you heard of Kyushu before?

https://thenavigatio.com/7-day-kyushu-itinerary/

31/01/2025

I’ve just published my brand new guide on Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture ♨️🇯🇵

As one of the top three hot spring towns in Japan (and one of the most active ones, at 32,000 litres of hot spring water per minute), Kusatsu Onsen could be a great spot off the golden route to check out!

From Tokyo, it takes about 3 hours to get to Kusatsu Onsen. But it also makes a good stopover if you’re travelling to other areas in central Japan 🇯🇵

We spent a few days in Kusatsu last year and it was such a lovely, relaxing stay.

Especially as I’m trying to focus on sharing more destinations away from the popular golden route, I’m very excited to share Kusatsu Onsen with you 🤩🇯🇵

Here is my two day itinerary:

https://thenavigatio.com/kusatsu-onsen-itinerary/

30/01/2025

Nara deer park at 8am vs 3pm!

I've been to Nara a few times, but on our last trip, we decided to stay in Nara Prefecture for four nights. Being able to explore the area before the day trippers arrived was quite something! It was SO quiet!

As we had some more time, we also got to visit a lot of spots outside of the main area and see what else Nara Prefecture has to offer - it was incredible (and super quiet!). I'm currently busy writing all about it in some new guides!

Last week, I also completely rewrote our one day Nara itinerary. In it, I've also included a list of spots to visit as (half-)day trips FROM Nara, to see beyond the Deer Park.

Have you been yet?

https://thenavigatio.com/nara-itinerary-one-day-trip/

30/01/2025

The elusive yellow bullet train in Tokyo completed its final shinkansen track inspection on January 29

29/01/2025

Updated my JR Pass guide for 2025!

If you're heading to Japan this year, it may not be the best idea to get a JR Pass (depending on your itinerary!). In the guide below, I share how to figure out whether or not it's worth it PLUS the best alternatives :)

If you have any questions, as always, leave a comment and I'll get back to you ASAP :)

https://thenavigatio.com/japan-rail-pass-travel-worth/

23/01/2025

Just a couple of months and Japan will look like this again 🤩🌸

Who’s going this spring? 🇯🇵

19/01/2025

Re-sharing my 2-week Japan itinerary for first time visitors! Last week, I updated it for 2025 ⛩️

It includes a route, daily breakdowns of what to do, hotel recommendations, transport info, and many customisable day-trip options.

The interactive Google Maps in the guide can be copied for free too, so you can use it while you're on your trip1

https://thenavigatio.com/japan-itinerary-two-weeks/

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Did you know you can stay overnight in the original Nintendo NQ in Kyoto? After it stood vacant for decades, this beautiful building was transformed into a 5* boutique hotel with 18 rooms. I got to stay here earlier this year, you can read my review below to read about my experience and the history of this special place. https://thenavigatio.com/marufukuro-nintendo-hotel-kyoto/

A few more snaps from my stay in @shibaparkhotel_official_jp 😍 #ad #gifted #tokyohotel #tokyogram #tokyotravel #exploretokyo #japantravel

Pokémon manhole cover hunting in the place Satoshi Tajiri spent most of his childhood 🌲🇯🇵❤️ #serigayapark #pokemon #manholecover #japantrip #japantravel #japangram

Sumo in Osaka

I went to my first sumo tournament earlier this week and it was a BLAST! 😍

We stayed in a Buddhist temple in Koyasan, Wakayama 🇯🇵 Visit Wakayama #japantravel #explorejapan #Wakayama #Koyasan #ad

POV: You visit Super Nintendo World 🎮

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