This Enoshima Shrine guide is the walkthrough I wish someone had shoved into my hands on my first visit. I’ve done this walk more times than I can count now, sometimes with a six-year-old attached to my hand asking why we can’t just take the escalator the whole way, sometimes solo with a coffee and […]
The Best Higanbana Spots Near Tokyo and Yokohama
My Instagram feed turns into a wall of red every September. I scroll through it from my couch in Yokohama and, without fail, decide to also go to the spots (mostly out of FOMO, if I’m being honest). If you’re searching for higanbana spots near Tokyo and Yokohama, the good news is that you don’t […]
What to See in Japan in Autumn: A Month-by-Month Bloom Guide
Searching for what to see in Japan in autumn usually gets you one image: a temple roof buried under red maple leaves. And yes, those are pretty and real, but those are also just part of the last chapter. Build your whole trip around momiji and you’ll miss six weeks of scenery most visitors never […]
Top Things to Do in Yokohama in September 2026: Fireworks, Festivals, and the Mooncake Season
Things to do in Yokohama in September come at you fast and confused about what season they’re in. One weekend you’re sweating through a beer garden. The next you’re standing in a lit-up garden at night, watching a full moon, feeling weirdly emotional about it. Early September still runs on summer momentum, with fireworks and […]
Best Campsites With Mt. Fuji Views (A Camping Mom’s Picks)
My son asked me last month why we don’t just look at a picture of Mount Fuji instead of driving two hours to sleep next to it. Fair question from a kid who’d rather be at the playground. But there’s no photo that gets you the version where the mountain turns pink at sunrise while […]
Asagiri Camp Base Sorairo: Complete Guide and Honest Review
If you’ve been scrolling Japan camping accounts and keep seeing that impossibly green field with Mt Fuji floating behind it, there’s a good chance it’s Asagiri Camp Base Sorairo. I took my 5-year-old there for two nights and I want to walk you through what it’s actually like, not just the polished shots, because there […]
Fujiminooka Auto Camp Field: A Mom’s Honest Guide to Camping With a Mt. Fuji View
We booked Fujiminooka Auto Camp Field on a whim because a friend sent me a photo of Mt. Fuji sitting right behind someone’s tent, and I basically stopped scrolling and texted her “wait, where is this.” Turns out it’s a hillside campsite in Fuji City, Shizuoka, that opened back in January 2021 and has quietly […]
Negura Campground: An Honest Family Review of the Izu Hillside Campsite With a View
Negura Campground has been popping up on every camping account and blog list for Izu lately, and after taking my 5-year-old there with two other families, I get why. It’s not the biggest campsite you’ll find, and it’s not the place to go if Mt. Fuji is the entire point of your trip. But for […]
Arima Keikoku: Guide to the Perfect Spot for Fishing With Kids Near Tokyo
If you’re a parent living around Tokyo or Yokohama, you already know the summer problem. The kid is out of school, the humidity is doing something unforgivable to everyone’s mood, and every indoor play center within train distance is packed with the exact same crowd you were hoping to escape. Trout fishing with kids near […]
Sea Paradise Fireworks Symphony: A Guide to Yokohama’s Best Summer Fireworks Show
If you have lived in Japan for more than one summer, you already know the drill with hanabi taikai. You show up three hours early in full yukata, stake out a patch of tarp on a riverbank, sweat through the humidity, and then spend the actual fireworks show squinting past someone’s selfie stick. It is […]