With winter snow piling up in Japan, and the sun setting earlier, it’s time to be bundled up and with plenty of warm, delicious food. Wintertime in Japan also means that there is a great deal of mouthwatering food coming into season in the country. From crab to sushi, you could spend weeks exploring and not try all the amazing dishes in winter.

Just a stone’s throw from Tokyo and Chiba, and while technically not a neighbour of Tokyo, Ibaraki Prefecture is very accessible, and makes for a wonderful day trip or even multi-day trip to explore all the amazing things that the prefecture has in it. From waterfalls to famous gardens, mountains and shrines, make sure to keep Ibaraki in mind when visiting Japan!

Wakayama Prefecture is another of the 4 prefectures that make up the Kii Peninsula of central Japan. Home to one of the most famous pilgrimage trails of the country, Wakayama is not too far from Tokyo and other large cities. Exploring the prefecture will showcase some of Japan’s most beautiful scenery, offering a side of Japan that is off the beaten path, but not to be missed.

The Sapporo Snow Festival, one of the largest snow sculpture festivals in the world, transforms the city into a winter wonderland each year with hundreds of breathtaking snow and ice sculptures. The construction process is, in many ways, just as awe inspiring as the festival, however it is near impossible for visitors and even locals to get a glimpse behind the curtain. With that in mind, last year I decided to make a documentary following a snow sculpture team for several months to understand the ins and outs of how these towering snow creations are put together.

Japan is composed of 4 main islands, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Hokkaido. Visiting and exploring them is a wonderful feat, but have you ever thought of trying to start from one end of the country and finish at the other in one go? We sat down with Oscar Boyd, who did just that, and dove into the adventure that is cycling the length of Japan.