Living in many different corners of Japan gave Connie an opportunity to get under the skin of the country. We had a chat about her career, best places to visit that not many people know about, and car camping!

Japan’s nature is a highlight of every visit and you don’t have to limit yourself to spring when planning your dream holiday! Depending on the area you visit, you can enjoy different aspects of Japan’s great outdoors and time it with your favourite blossoms. In the spirit of this month’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we explore Japan’s beautiful flowers and reveal the best time of the year to view them.

Every autumn Japan’s natural beauty takes on a new meaning when people head off on ‘momijigari’ leaf hunting adventures. It’s a custom of visiting places where leaves have started to blush and admiring the changing seasons. Read on to find out how to enjoy autumn following Japanese people's philosophy of appreciation both in Japan and here in the UK at Kew Gardens' Japan festival supported by Daikin UK!

We had a chat with Tom from North Wales who fell in love with the outdoors while traversing over beautiful mountains with his father and brothers. Tom moved to Japan 'for two years' and now over a decade later he is a teacher and a published author! Read on to find out about Tom's recommended walks for first-time visitors and his favourite hikes in Japan.

This week we had a chat with Richard, a British enterpreneur, who lives in beautiful Tottori - Japan's least populated prefecture. Richard is deeply connected with the natural and spiritual worlds: he practices Shugendo, Japan's ancient religion and philosophy, and is very involved in the conservation of the Japanese Giant Salamanders! Read on to find out about the unexplored Tottori prefecture and Richard's journey of discovery.