There’s a city in Hyogo Prefecture called Takarazuka, and if you’re really into Japan, you’ll know that the city is famous for two things, one of them more well-known than the other.

Ito is one of the famous onsen areas that’s located on the eastern coast of the Izu peninsula.

Manyo no Yu is an onsen resort chain which has locations all over Japan and is well-known by Japanese people. In Japan’s metropolitan area you can find it in Machida (Tokyo), Sakuragicho (Yokohama) and Hadano, but we want to talk only about the first one here.

In this piece, I shine a light on a neighborhood which is rarely mentioned in tourist guidebooks–Asakusabashi, located conveniently only one stop from electronics and otaku mecca, Akihabara, on the JR Sobu line with a subway stop on the Toei Asakusa Line as well for easy access to the Asakusa/Sensoji area and Tokyo Sky Tree.

With a huge variety of accommodation, ranging from simple hostels to five star hotels with all inclusive packages, Ishigaki Island has something for every traveler.

During my first trip to Kusatsu, Gunma in 2019, I stayed in a ryokan (a type of traditional Japanese inn) called Nakamuraya. The ryokan is well known for its 4-legged inhabitants. They have four cats that like to chill out in the common areas of the hotel that guest can pet and play with.

For those visiting Fukuoka or Kita-Kyushu City, Munakata offers a wide variety of historical, cultural, and culinary attractions that are accessible by Rapid and Regional Rapid JR trains in about 35 minutes: the perfect day trip!

Nemurin Oriental is a small pension called situated in the Nasu Kogen region of Tochigi prefecture. It's perfect if you want to relax in a quiet environment, enjoy nature and take soothing baths in private hot spring baths.

For most tourists, Suginoi is one of the best hotels in Beppu with such a great location, large estate and excellent service. Located on top of the hill Kankaiji hot spring area, Suginoi has an incredible advantage to attract a huge number of tourists from all over Japan as well as China and Korea.

Hakuba is much larger than your average ski town and offers various accommodations to choose from at every price point. The valley is comprised of many neighborhoods and I recommend staying at the three closest to Happo-One, the largest resort.

Traveling is not cheap, and a huge part of the cost comes from accommodation. Sure, you don’t have to stay in a fancy hotel. However, some of us (hello!) want to save as much as possible so we can splurge our budget on other parts of the trip, such as trying out all the high quality local cuisines.

Located just a 7-minute walk away from Yudanaka station, the bar is located just beside the river connecting Yudanaka and Shibu Onsen where you can enjoy the flowing sound of nature while indulging in your warm Japanese rice wine.