japan
Japan, handpicked.
A country of contrasts: centuries-old teahouses beside glass towers, avant-garde art islands across from sacred shrines, and meals that somehow manage to be both wildly inventive and deeply ritualized. Japan resists being reduced to a single storyline—its appeal is layered, sensory, and quietly electrifying.
We’ve sifted through the noise to bring you what matters: ryokans worth the splurge, cities worth the stop, restaurants worth the reservation, and experiences worth flying across the world for.
Where to go. Where to stay. What to skip. What to savor.
Every moment, considered.
Looking for a region?
Need to know
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March to May and October to November are peak—sakura or crimson maples, either way the scenery stuns. Avoid Golden Week and mid-summer heat unless you’re chasing festivals.
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For first-timers, start in Tokyo and Kyoto. Add a detour to Naoshima, Hakone, or Hokkaido depending on the season and your pace.
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Japan operates on an unspoken language of politeness, precision, and subtlety. Bow. Be punctual. Learn a few phrases. Respect the rules—especially the quiet ones.
The Art of the Ritual
Tea Ceremony at Camellia GARDEN
Tucked behind a small gate in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, this intimate tea house offers a modern yet reverent take on the centuries-old practice. Every movement, from the whisking to the bowing, is choreographed to slow you down.
Zazen Meditation at Eihei-ji
At this remote monastery in Fukui Prefecture, guests can join the monks for seated meditation before dawn. No frills, no fanfare—just silence, breath, and the sound of the temple bell echoing through the forest.
Incense Making in Kyoto
Learn the art of kōdō, Japan’s ancient incense ceremony, at a workshop run by one of Kyoto’s oldest scent houses. You’ll grind your own blend, shape it by hand, and leave with a deeper understanding of scent as memory.
Knife Sharpening in Sakai
This Osaka suburb has been crafting knives for over 600 years. At select studios, you can watch artisans sharpen blades by hand on whetstones, a meditative process that hasn’t changed in generations. Precision, preserved.
Hala hit list
A few of our forever favorites.
More than just tempura. A poetic, family-run experience in a quiet suburb where the seasonal tasting menus are a love letter to Japanese tradition.
Lunch at Tempura Matsu, Kyoto
Dusk at Fushimi Inari Shrine
Yes, it’s famous. No, that doesn’t make it any less magical. Go late. Let the crowds fade. Walk until the red gates blur into forest.
Not a museum, not quite a building. A raindrop-shaped structure where water flows and silence becomes the artwork. Haunting, beautiful, and worth the ferry.
Teshima Art Museum
Sake tasting at Terada Honke Brewery
Natural, unfiltered sake from a centuries-old brewery that feels more like a temple than a factory. Tours are intimate, slow, and guided by philosophy.
Stay at Gora Kadan
A former imperial retreat turned ryokan in Hakone. Tatami mats, open-air onsen, kaiseki dinners served in silence. It’s the reset you didn’t know you needed.
A ramen crawl in Tokyo
From tsukemen to tonkotsu, chart your own path. Start at Afuri in Harajuku, end at Ichiran in Shibuya at 3 a.m. No wrong answers.
if you have 48 hours
START IN TOKYO
Check in to Trunk Hotel in Jingumae. Spend your morning in Daikanyama wandering Tsutaya Books and sipping espresso at Onibus Coffee. Afternoon at Nezu Museum, then hit Aoyama Flower Market Tea House for something light. Dinner at Den if you can get in—otherwise try Yakumo Saryo or Narisawa.
ESCAPE TO KYOTO
Hop the Shinkansen. Drop bags at Hotel The Celestine Gion or Sowaka. See Kiyomizu-dera at golden hour. Walk through Gion’s lantern-lit alleys. Dinner at Gion Sasaki or Giro Giro Hitoshina, then cocktails at L’Escamoteur.
HEAD INTO THE HILLS
Morning walk through Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Stop at % Arabica for coffee. Take a rickshaw or hike up to the monkey park. Soak in a hot spring at Kurama Onsen or splurge on a day trip to Hoshinoya Kyoto.
END WITH ART
Catch an early train to Naoshima or Teshima if you have time. If not, stay in Kyoto and spend your last hours at Kyoto International Manga Museum, browsing Nakamura Tokichi for matcha, or sipping sake at Sake Bar Yoramu.
TRAINS WORTH TRAVELING FOR
Shiki-shima
A five-star hotel on rails, this ultra-luxe train glides through the forests and coastlines of northern Honshu. Think fine dining, cypress bathtubs, and floor-to-ceiling observation lounges that feel more like a museum than a mode of transport.
Aso Boy!
Whimsical and family-friendly but quietly stunning, this Kyushu train offers black-and-white interiors, panoramic windows, and plush seating facing the landscape. It’s made for slow travel—and unexpected stillness.
Hello Kitty Shinkansen
A pastel pink dream that runs between Osaka and Fukuoka, this high-speed train turns kitsch into an art form. Themed interiors, photo booths, and surprise design moments make it feel like part of the itinerary—not just a way to get there.
A-Train
Running along the Amakusa coast, this design-forward ride offers stained glass windows, brass fixtures, and a cocktail bar onboard. With only a handful of departures a week, it feels like a secret worth planning around.
Yakumo Limited Express
Winding through the mountains of western Honshu, this line between Okayama and Matsue offers a quieter, moodier alternative to the Shinkansen. Best enjoyed with a bento in hand and a window seat at dusk.
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