Alastair's relationship with Japan started in 1998 when a stroke of luck brought him to Aichi prefecture to teach English. Upon returning from Japan he set up Inside Japan Tours with his university friend Simon. A passionate Bristolian, Alastair shared his favourite locations to visit and food he can never get enough of.

Japan is known for its technology and love for robots which assist people in different areas of life. Recently everyone’s attention has focused on rural Kochi prefecture, on Shikoku island, which is trying to revolutionise tourism with a shoulder-mounted robot called NIN_NIN. 

Head south of Osaka to find the Kii Peninsula, Japan's spiritual corner covered by primeval forests and generously gifted with natural gems. We asked Alena Eckelmann from Kii Monogatari to take us on a journey through her local prefecture - Mie, and she went above and beyond to introduce us to her favourites. Read on to find out more about waterfall stays and a secluded onsen with an underground trolley train.

Museums in Japan are anything but usual: where else would you find one entirely devoted to everything bathroom like the TOTO Museum on Kyushu? Japan has plenty of show stopping options and we’ve collected a list of some favourites located in various places across the country.

Dorothee Eshin Takatsu, originally from Germany, is an ordained Zen Priest in the Rinzai Tradition. In 2004 she established her Zen Retreat Center, Horakuan, in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture where she now offers Zen retreats with a creative touch to Japanese and foreign visitors. We talked about how she became a monk in Japan and what kind of experiences await visitors to Horakuan.