Front view of Kanazaw'as Ninja Tempe with wooden steps leading up to the main later. Many signs tell you to remove your shoes.

Should you Visit Kanazawa’s Ninja Temple?

You can’t take any photos, there’s an obligatory tour all in Japanese, you have to make a reservation to even get onto said tour – and, frankly, the reviews online aren’t always good. So, how did a trip to Myouryu-ji, Kanazawa’s Ninja Temple, turn out to be one of the highlights of my trip to Kanazawa? Read on and find out…

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Shops and restaurants on Narai Juku main street.

3 Mistakes Not To Make If You Visit Narai Juku

If you’ve been researching your Japan trip on social media, you might have seen the pretty post town of Narai Juku and decided to add it to your itinerary. But if you do – make sure you read this first so you don’t make the same mistakes that we did.

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Completed sheet of stamps from the seven lucky gods walk in Nagano. It shows eight different red stamps each with a drawn image of each god.

Collecting The ‘Seven Lucky God’ Stamps in Nagano

If you’re looking for something fun to do in Nagano, how about collecting stamps from the Seven Lucky Gods? The city has a walking course where you can pick up a special sheet and then go around seven shrines/temples in the city collecting their individual red seals. It’s a great way to see some smaller … Read more

Wooden gate marking the entrance to the Zenkoji temple complex in Nagano. Two giant statues stand either side of the gate entrance.

How Long Should You Spend in Nagano?

Located just under two hours from Tokyo, Nagano is a good first stop if you plan a trip around the Japanese Alps region. But how long should you stay there? Here’s what I suggest after my recent trip there.

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