Sahoro
Club Med Sahoro vs Kiroro: Which All-Inclusive to Book
Club Med Sahoro vs Kiroro: transfer time from New Chitose, mountain size, ski-school ages, and how far each village really is from anything else.
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.
Furano
Where to Stay in Furano: Kitanomine, Town Centre or Prince
Where to stay in Furano for skiing: ski-in at Shin Furano Prince, walk to the Kitanomine gondola, or base in town near restaurants and the JR station.
Niseko
Niseko Where to Stay: Hirafu, Village, Annupuri or Hanazono
Niseko where to stay: how Hirafu, Niseko Village, Annupuri, and Hanazono differ on walk-to-lift distance, evening dining, and family-size rooms.
Ryogoku
Where to Stay for Sumo Tournament in Tokyo (January Basho)
Reserved seat or same-day queue changes the answer for the January Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Where to sleep for each type of visitor.
Hakone
Hakone Ekiden Road Closures Staying in Hakone January 2 3
The Hakone Ekiden closes Route 1 for hours on Jan 2-3. Where to stay if you want to watch it from your hotel, and where to stay if you want to avoid it.
Kobe
Kobe Luminarie 2027 Dates: It Moved to Late January
Kobe Luminarie is no longer a December event. The 32nd edition is confirmed for Jan 29-Feb 7, 2027, with the same paid-area pricing as 2026.
Niseko
Is Chinese New Year a Bad Time to Visit Japan? Feb 6, 2027
Lunar New Year 2027 is Feb 6. It doesn't hit all of Japan evenly — Niseko and Kyoto tighten hardest, and Sapporo's Snow Festival overlaps it directly.
Kyoto
Where to Stay for Kyoto Marathon 2027: the Finish Side
Kyoto Marathon 2027 starts in Nishikyogoku and finishes at Heian-jingu. Here is why the finish side wins, road closures, and the real entry timeline.
Otaru
Where to Eat Dinner in Otaru in Winter, From 30 Nights a Year
Where to eat dinner in Otaru in winter: Isezushi, Naruto's half chicken, yakiniku finished as soup, and booking weekends about two weeks ahead.
Tokyo
Welcome Suica Mobile: 180 Days, ¥20,000 Cap, Top-Ups Not Refunded
Welcome Suica Mobile on iPhone: valid 180 days, ¥20,000 cap, ¥1,000 first top-up, no refunds. Six countries can set it up before landing.
Tokyo
JR East Travel Service Center Tokyo: 7 Counters, Hours, Passport
JR East Travel Service Center Tokyo: seven counters for visitors, 6:45 to 20:00, where each one is, and why you need your original passport.
Fukuoka
Fukuoka Hotels With a Separate Washing Area, Not a Unit Bath
Four Fukuoka hotel room types confirmed to have a washing area outside the tub, not a unit bath, checked against each hotel's own room page.