A chance encounter led Tim Bunting to becoming a Yamabushi monk in Japan's northern Yamagata prefecture. Read on to find out Tim's top recommendations for mindfulness experiences in Japan, the best of Yamagata, and his tips for exploring Japan's least visited area - the Tohoku region!

In 2012 Yukiyo and her family moved to Kamakura where exploring the area and meeting the locals made her realise that there is much more to the area than 'big temples and a big buddha'. It inspired her to creat 'Kamakura Mind', a place to convey the charm of Japanse culture to visitors in accessible ways. Read on for Yukiyo's favourite undiscovered destinations in Kamakura and her top picks for eating out.

In the spirit of Halloween, we have picked our favourite haunted spots all thrill seekers need to see for themselves. You can enjoy the spooky side of Japan any time, you just need to know where to look for the signs of the supernatural! Read on for spooky dolls, cursed hotels, and more...

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!

Mario, Pikachu, and Godzilla have one thing in common, they are world-class celebrities that come from Japan! There are plenty of spots that will bring transport you straight into the world of your favourite characters. To make the choice a wee bit easier, we picked our top pop culture spots across the country!