Japan
Where to Stay Near Japan Airports: Sleep at the Gate or in the City
Airport hotels near Narita start from ¥5,500 and inside New Chitose from ¥11,000 — but Japanese airport rail usually beats both. Which night needs which.
Hideaki Yasukawa
Tokyo-based technology architect and lifelong Japan traveler. Marriott Lifetime Platinum (822 nights worldwide), 44 of 47 prefectures, ~60 hotel nights a year — usually with family. I verify every hotel before it appears here.
Hokkaido
San Francisco to Sapporo Direct Flight: United's New Winter Route, Explained
United's San Francisco to Sapporo direct flight starts 11 Dec 2026: 3x/week on a 787-9, through 27 Mar 2027. Schedule, dates, and what changes.
Hokkaido
United Award Seats San Francisco to Sapporo: Why the Same Seat Costs 55,000 or 150,000 Miles
United award seats San Francisco to Sapporo ran 55,000-150,000 miles one way in our August 2026 check. See which days price at the saver level.
Hokkaido
How Many Nights Hokkaido Ski Trip From San Francisco? Planning Around Three United Flights a Week
United's SFO-Sapporo flights run 3x/week, so a Hokkaido ski trip lands on 2, 5, or 7 nights. Here's the day-by-day breakdown for each.
Hokkaido
Arriving at New Chitose Airport International Terminal: What Happens Between the Jet Bridge and the Train
Arriving at New Chitose Airport international terminal: the immigration-baggage-customs sequence, then the walk to the domestic side where buses depart
Hokkaido
Where to Stay First Night After Landing at New Chitose: 14:15 Arrival Guide
Where to stay first night after landing at New Chitose: Sapporo for dinner, Otaru for quiet, Kiroro for first tracks, from ¥6,100 (checked Aug 2026).
Japan
Flying With Skis to Japan United: Bags, Fees and the New Chitose End
United's ski and snowboard baggage rules for the new SFO-New Chitose route: fees, size limits, and the New Chitose claim (checked Aug 2026).
Japan
San Francisco to Sapporo Direct vs via Tokyo: What the Nonstop Actually Saves
San Francisco to Sapporo direct vs via Tokyo: real travel times, ski bag handling, and United's miles range, with a decision rule for each traveler.
Japan
Hokkaido February Snow Festival Ski Trip: Skiing Around Sapporo and Otaru's Winter Lights
Planning a Hokkaido February snow festival ski trip: Sapporo's Snow Festival and Otaru's candlelit Yuki Akari no Michi overlap for 6 days in 2027.
Kyoto
Buying a Folding Fan in Kyoto: Start With the Ceiling Nobody Charges For
A sensu is six objects sharing one English word — including formal fans that never open. Two Kyoto shops, founded 1689 and 1823, and what to ask in them.
Kumamoto
Tsujun Bridge Water Discharge: Schedule, and What Changed in 2026
The discharge stops mid-May to mid-July and December to March, runs about 15 minutes at 1pm — and the paid bridge-top walk is closed for all of 2026.
New Chitose
Portom International Hokkaido: The Hotel Inside New Chitose Airport
A 3-min indoor walk from international arrivals: 171 rooms of 43-250 m2, its own onsen and a Michelin-starred chef's French restaurant, from ¥40,000.