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kyoto

Nishiyama ryokan

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A charming ryokan in the heart of Kyoto offering more than a place to stay

bassetts.bouken

⛩ inspiring your next Japan adventure 🍡
🗾 sharing lesser travelled spots, events & hotels
🇬🇧 living in 🇯🇵 9 years 🌸
💌 PR: bassettsbouken@gmail.com

Hina Matsuri 🎎 Japan’s Girls’ Day 🇯🇵 If you fin

Hina Matsuri 🎎 Japan’s Girls’ Day 🇯🇵

If you find yourself in Japan around this time of year (mid Feb-March) you might wonder what these displays of Hina dolls dressed in Heian period clothing are all about 🎎 well today March 3rd is a day for families to celebrate their daughters 🥹

And this sacred forest shrine overlooking the sea has one of the largest & most impressive displays in Japan with 118 steps full of the most spectacular dolls! 🎎

Whilst tiered hina doll displays are often incredibly expensive (we’re talking £1000+ 👀 & as such are often heirlooms passed down by generation), historically families who couldn’t afford these, created hanging hand-made decorations which you can see either side of the staircase. Known as tsurushi kazari they are a renowned cultural tradition in this particular region of Japan 🇯🇵

Sewn from repurposed old kimono scraps, they represent a family’s hope for the health & happiness of their daughters with each different shape having its own symbolic meaning ✨

📆 Until March 8th from 10am-3pm 🕰️ this display started from Feb 14th so if you don’t have time this year, save this post & visit next Feb/early March! 🔖

thank you @maris_adventures_in_japan for this rec! ✨

📍 Susanoo shrine, Inatori Onsen, Shizuoka (素盞鳴神社)
♨️ as it’s an onsen town I recommend staying here like I did for the weekend! My recommendation is Katasekan Hiina (@katasekan.hiina)

#hinamatsuri #japanfestival #traditionaljapan #japaneseculture #dollsfestival

Japan’s sakura spots minus the crowds 🌸 I’ll be s

Japan’s sakura spots minus the crowds 🌸

I’ll be starting my March guides & decided to begin with a few favourite spots in Tokyo & the surrounding area edition 🌸 this’ll be pt. 1 as I have so many March blooming spots to share!

🌸 The Front Diet Park, Tokyo - with Kawazuzakura & Kanzakura cherry blossoms blooming now, as well as plums this is one to visit if you’re looking for a quieter, peaceful place in Tokyo to enjoy the blossoms! This park has more solo trees rather than clumps of sakura but it’s still beautiful!

🌸 Hiradonagaya River, Yokohama - full bloom now with green leaves emerging so one to visit in the next few days

🌸 Koidegawa river in Chigasaki is blooming beautifully now! Worth visiting in the next week with their festival ending on March 8th 📆
📍the location spot on Google Maps is 小出川の河津桜

🌸 Ichinoseki Harane, Minamiashigara - 120 harumeki sakura trees on a gentle slope , by viewing from the bridge above it feels like you’re floating in a sakura cloud ☁️
📆 best to visit mid-March

🔖 save for next time if you’re not in Tokyo this month, but if you are, follow @bassetts.bouken for more sakura updates!

Let me know what you’d like to see next as I have a lot of sakura season content from places visited in previous years! 🌸

#tokyosakura #sakuraseason #cherryblossoms #japanguide #springintokyo

🌸 Blooming now - this may be your last chance to c

🌸 Blooming now - this may be your last chance to catch the sakura for these spots! 🏃🏻‍♀️

My most frequent DM at the moment is where to see cherry blossoms right now? So here’s an updated list of where to go & conditions starting off with Tokyo’s…

🌸 Sakura Jingu - the magical pink ribbon, sakura shrine is in full bloom now, the best time to visit! 🎀

The rest are day trips, all accessible from Tokyo…

🌸 Kawazu town’s sakura has also reached full bloom (on the 23rd) so this weekend might be perfect timing to visit to experience the start of falling sakura petals 🍃

🌸 Oi Yume no Sato - my favourite place 🥹 full bloom but the rain will have affected them, this weekend will be the last chance to visit 🍃

🌸 Matsuda has officially announced ‘桜吹雪～散り始め’ meaning that the sakurafubuki has begun, essentially meaning a snowstorm, blizzard, or shower of cherry blossom petals 🥹 a beautiful name for my personally favourite part of sakura season! ❄️

🌸🍃 Miura Kaigan - the recent rain has scattered a lot of the petals but there still are beautiful trees here & there, this coming weekend is the last to enjoy the festival. Even though the green leaves emerge & more petals are falling, an upside is it may not be as busy!

Even though the prettiest pink kawazu sakura may be coming to an end, plenty more sakura varieties are about to bloom! 🌸 Stay tuned & follow @bassetts.bouken for more sakura guides as we head into March & April! 🇯🇵

#sakuraseason #kawazuzakura#cherryblossomseason #japantravel #springinjapan

🇯🇵 Blooming now, Mt. Fuji x sakura 🗻🌸 this is the

🇯🇵 Blooming now, Mt. Fuji x sakura 🗻🌸 this is the most beautiful view in Japan or the world in my opinion 🤭

And I know that sounds like a big statement but I’m not saying it lightly 😅 for me, I cannot think of anywhere more picturesque than this Mt. Fuji view on a crystal clear day from a hill of perfectly pink sakura! 🌸

What’s the most beautiful view you’ve ever seen? 🥹

Since my last visit in 2023, it’s gotten a little bit more known, but is still very much a lesser visited spot, especially in comparison to Kawazu and Matsuda, most likely because it’s harder to get to with public transport, but is 100% worth the effort! 🌸

📍 Oi Yume no Sato, Oi, Kanagawa (おおいゆめの里)
📸 taken 21/02/2026 - there are still plenty of buds on many of the trees, only one tree had green leaves so it will be good to visit in the next week 🌸

#mtfuji #fujiview #sakuraseason #cherryblossomseason #fujisan

Blooming now & an easy day trip from Tokyo, this i

Blooming now & an easy day trip from Tokyo, this is another one of those beautiful cherry blossom spots that bloom in February! 🌸

🍡 from Miurakaigan station walk along to Komatsugaike Park where you’ll find lots of food stalls for the festival, but if that’s too busy or you fancy sitting down to eat, I recommend…

🐟 Mottainai shokudo (@mottainai.shokudo) a restaurant focused on supporting local farmers & fishermen with a mission of reducing food waste by using surplus, non-standard vegetables & underutilised fish. The lunch set was delicious with such variety! 😋

🫜 & for those that live in Japan, Miura is famous for its HUGE daikon radish so don’t miss buying one for a bargain price & you can even pull your own one out of the ground! Watch to the end to see the one I got 🤭

📍 Miura Kaigan, Kanagawa
🚃 Miurakaigan station ~1.5 hours from Tokyo
📸 taken 15/02/2026 at 80% blooming, it’s now full bloom so go, go, go! 🏃🏻‍♀️
📆 the festival is on until 3rd March but visit in the next week for best timing 🌸

#miurakaigan #cherryblossomseason #sakuraseason #sakuramatsuri #japantravels

Isn’t this just the prettiest shrine you’ve ever s

Isn’t this just the prettiest shrine you’ve ever seen? 🌸🥹

Having first visited 5 years ago, I felt it was time to return to the shrine that kick-started my love for finding beautiful places & sharing them here on instagram to say thanks for all the opportunities it’s brought me! 🥹

I was surprised when I visited yesterday to see that already parts of the trees are blooming! 🌸 But don’t worry, I’d still say majority of the trees are buds so you still have plenty of time to visit, so plan to go in the next week or two & if you can, and go on a week day so you won’t have to queue up as long for the goshuin & pretty lace omamori 🌸

Keep your eye out for the fast moving mejiro birds but if you can’t snap a photo of them, you can purchase the pretty mejiro goshuin as proof of your visit. Which goshuin is your favourite? I couldn’t choose between gold or mejiro so I go both 🤭✨

🙏 as a reminder this is a shrine so please be respectful if you visit & be aware of other visitors. No tripods are allowed either.

📍 Sakura shrine (桜神宮), Sakurashinmachi, Tokyo
📸 taken 13/02/2026 (cover photo from a previous year)

#tokyo #sakurashrine #cherryblossomseason #sakuraseason #桜神宮

With over 35,000 plum trees, Soga Bairin is the la

With over 35,000 plum trees, Soga Bairin is the largest plum groves closest to Tokyo, so there’s plenty of trees to choose to sit under for an early hanami! 🌸

On sunny days, Mt. Fuji will make an appearance too! Whilst it wasn’t perfectly clear when I visited, I was happy enough to see Fuji-san peeking through the clouds every now & then! 🗻👀

For some reason they’re still frequently overlooked & underrated by visitors to Japan which is a shame because if you’re visiting in February they really are a true highlight & are very much loved in Japan! 🇯🇵

Travel tip ✨ combine your visit with Matsuda’s cherry blossom festival nearby for a full flower day out 🌸

📍 Soga Bairin, Odawara, Kanagawa
🚃 10 min walk from Shimosoga station & is just over an hour & a half from Tokyo
📆 The festival (foods, arts, performances etc.) is held until 1st March & many of the plum blossoms have begun to bloom now 🌸

#sogabairin #odawara #plumblossom #springinjapan

❄️ Sapporo’s 76th Snow Festival ☃️ 76 years cele

❄️ Sapporo’s 76th Snow Festival ☃️

76 years celebrating this now iconic snow festival which started from humble beginnings of middle school children building snow sculptures in Odori Park 🥹

⛄️ Now, Odori Park hosts huge sculptures (~15m high!) created by the Japanese Self Defence Force, volunteers & local citizens in Japan & submissions from around the world for the international competition, with Finland taking 1st prize this year 🇫🇮🥇

🧊 The Susukino site with all its intricate crystal clear ice sculptures is the perfect site to enjoy before or after dinner as it’s situated right in heart of the entertainment district of Sapporo

🛝 Families will also want to check out the Tsudome site as it has giant snow slides & activities for kids!

Personally there were a few too many anime sculptures this time, but my standouts were the Star Wars Mandalorian piece - Yoda is just too cute 🥹 Aizu Wakamatsu’s Tsuruga castle which looked incredible with projections turning it gold 🏯✨ & the sculpture highlighting the Jōmon period (from 15,000 to 2,400 years ago, a time where nature was worshipped) with the message that “humans are the smallest nature” and the message that with our life of convenience, we are starting to forget just how much we depend on & are supported by nature 🥺

6 years since I last visited yet I was just as impressed with the scale & artistry that goes into the making of this incredible festival 🤍

Will this be making your Japan travel bucket list? Make sure to save for next time! 🔖

📆 takes place in early Feb every year

#sapporosnowfestival #japanfestival #hokkaidotrip #sapporo #札幌雪まつり

Don’t miss this hidden 🌸 spot! ⬇️ With beautiful

Don’t miss this hidden 🌸 spot! ⬇️

With beautiful bright pink cherry blossoms, golden canola flowers AND Mt. Fuji views, Matsuda Sakura Matsuri is one of Japan’s favourite spots to kickstart sakura season, but with all this beauty comes of course many cherry blossom hunters 🤭

Now 40% bloomed, it won’t be long til it reaches full bloom! 🌸 Due to it blooming earlier than expected, the festival’s been moved earlier starting this weekend! ✨ From February 7th to March 8th 📆

Last year (shown in this reel) we arrived before 9am, and whilst we didn’t need to queue to get in, it was still very busy, and by midday the line was all the way down the hill 😱

Luckily there’s a solution which not many know about! 👀 Just an extra 15 minutes walk from Nishihirabatake Park (or 30 minutes if you’re at the base of the hill) is Aguri Park Sagayamaen 🌸 disclaimer - it’s very steep… but if you make the effort, you’ll be greeted with so many cherry blossoms & canola flowers in a much more serene setting - heaven! 💛

📍 Nishihirabatake Park & Aguri Park Sagayamaen, Matsuda, Kanagawa
🎟️ ¥500 to enter each park
🚃 Shin-Matsuda station (an hour & 20 from Shinjuku)
🌸 for blooming updates - @lets_go_matsuda

#cherryblossomseason #cherryblossoms #matsuda #sakuraseason #sakuramatsuri

🇯🇵 Founded in 1639 and run by the same family for

🇯🇵 Founded in 1639 and run by the same family for 18 generations since, Araya Totoan embodies the essence of Japanese omotenashi. It’s an elegant ryokan in the centre of Yamashiro Onsen, part of the Kaga region in Ishikawa prefecture, renowned for its soothing hot springs and traditional crafts like the colourful Kutani-ware so there’s plenty to see & do during your stay ✨

This has been one of my favourite ryokan stays in Japan so I wasn’t surprised to hear it was awarded a Michelin Key 🔑 The three public baths are unique & each worth a leisurely soak, there’s the wooden, warm Ruriko where the scent of cypress fills the air, the refreshing Gensen-kaku with a larger open-air bath as mist rolls through a Japanese garden setting, and the darker Karasu-yu, with a more mysterious atmosphere it’s known as the meditation bath ♨️

If public baths aren’t for you - perhaps you have many tattoos, or want to enjoy onsen with your partner then you have the option of choosing one of the 11 rooms that have their own private, attached open-air bath. I stayed in the Kutani room which had its own Japanese cypress bath and I adored relaxing on the terrace after!

And if you’re not onsen’d out by this point, the ryokan is situated opposite the famous public bathhouse adorned with stained glass, where guests with tattoos are also welcome 🛖

📍 Araya Totoan (@araya_totoan) in Yamashiro Onsen (@yamashiro_spa), Ishikawa

#ryokan #onsen #privateonsen #japanesehotel #michelinkey

Atami Day Trip Guide 🌸 With its renowned early s

Atami Day Trip Guide 🌸

With its renowned early sakura now in full bloom, the charming seaside town of Atami is well worth a visit & thanks to the shinkansen, you can reach Atami station from Tokyo in as little as 36 minutes, making it super convenient & efficient! 🚄

Swipe through the carousel for visuals on places to stop by, as well as how to tell the difference between plum & cherry blossoms & don’t forget to save this guide for your Japan spring trip! 🌸

🌸 Itokawa Promenade - the cherry blossom lined stream that runs through the heart of the town. Enjoy free sakura tea handed out by locals (but beware it probably won’t taste like you imagine 🤭)
📆 their cherry blossom festival is held until Feb 8th but I would visit in the next week to see them at their best 🌸

☕️ Atami Ginza - a Showa-era shopping street full of restaurants, cafes & charming unique shops. If you want to experience a retro kissaten with huge parfaits & nostalgic video games, you must add Café Pine Tree to your itinerary 🎮

🍮 Atami Purin (pudding) is *the* Atami souvenir to get - if you can stop yourself from eating it straight away 🤭 Whilst there is the popular shop Atami Purin 2nd on Atami Ginza, it often has long queues, so instead head to the hidden only a few minutes walk away newly opened Atami Purin Factory!

🐟 Kamanari Himono Dining - open early in the morning you can get a delicious, nutritious Japanese breakfast with the local specialty - dried fish. They also have an ashiyu (foot bath) in the entrance! ♨️

🌸 Atami Baien (Plum Garden) - celebrated as the earliest blooming plum garden in Japan, I wish I could transmit the smell through here! It really is divine! There’s also cherry blossoms down the road by the entrance to admire too
📆 the plum festival is on until March 8th

Follow @bassetts.bouken for more cherry blossom updates as we move through sakura season in Japan! 🇯🇵

#cherryblossoms #atami #sakuraseason #tokyodaytrip #japantravelguide

🌸 Today marks my first cherry blossom hunt of the

🌸 Today marks my first cherry blossom hunt of the year!

In the charmingly retro seaside town of Atami blooms a special type of sakura that arrives earlier than the rest! A perfect day trip from Tokyo as you can get there in as little as 36 minutes by shinkansen to Atami station from Tokyo station 🚄

The main location shown is Itokawa Promenade, a cherry blossom lined stream in the heart of the town. Enjoy free sakura tea handed out by locals (but beware it probably won’t taste like you imagine 🤭)
📆 their cherry blossom festival is held until Feb 8th but I would visit in the next week to see them at their best 🌸

🌸 also featured is the cherry blossom x sea view by the statue of Kamanariya Heishichi and his wife

🌸 Not featured in this reel but well worth a visit is Atami Plum Garden - there’s cherry blossoms down the road before the entrance & the park is full of incredible smelling plum blossoms 😌
📆 their plum festival is on until March 8th

Looking for more blossoms in the area? Head to Toi’s festival! 🌸 scroll down my feed to last year to see these bright pink cherry blossoms!

Follow @bassetts.bouken for more cherry blossom updates as we move through sakura season in Japan! 🇯🇵

#cherryblossoms #atami #sakuraseason #tokyodaytrip #sakura🌸

🇯🇵⬇️ Guide to the Little Kyoto of the Japanese Alp

🇯🇵⬇️ Guide to the Little Kyoto of the Japanese Alps

With so much snow fall lately, it got me reminiscing on one of my favourite snowy getaways at this (or actually any!) time of year - Takayama ❄️

🛖 Hida no Sato folk village - a charming open air museum with gassho-zukuri thatched roof farmhouses giving an atmosphere just like Shirakawago’s but with half the tourists!

🍢 Sanmachi Historic District - a quaint Edo-period (1603-1868) neighbourhood with plenty of tasty snacks to try and souvenirs to buy. Stop by my favourite souvenir shop, Takayama Usagiya (@takayama_usagiya), for adorable souvenirs, many of which are bunny themed! 🐰

🥩 Hida beef is this region’s specialty so make sure you try some of this tender, underrated wagyu! Favourite restaurants on my trip include Hidagyu Maruaki (@hidagyu_maruaki) - for their beef sushi & yakiniku barbecue, and Hida no Suke (@hidanosuke) - a cosy izakaya with delicious sake! 🍶

☕️ Miyagawa Morning Market - one of the biggest morning markets in Japan full of local souvenirs. I loved my cookie coffee cup 😋

🎞 Showa-kan Museum (@takayama_showakan) - experience the Japan of the past & see what life was like in the Showa period as they’ve reconstructed streets and shops of the 1950s

🗾 Takayama Jinya – the only site in Japan of a provincial governor office where the main building’s been preserved, truly a tranquil place! Visit in the morning so you can also visit the Jinya-mae Market held in front of it to pick up local crafts & delicious local farm produce 🧑‍🌾

🥣 Take part in a Hida Shunkei lacquerware workshop & learn from artisan Kumazaki-san about this 17th century lacquering technique

🙏 Hida Kokubunji Temple (@hida_kokubunji) - an ancient temple over 1,300 years old with a beautiful three-story pagoda and sarubobo

🛏 Finally, where to stay?
Hotel Wood Takayama (@hotel_wood_takayama) - perfect for sake lovers as you can taste a range of local sake in the lobby! 🍶
The Machiya Hotel Takayama (@machiyajapan) - perfect for those who want to warm up in a private Japanese Hinoki bath! ♨️

#takayama #hidanosato #hidatakayama #gifuprefecture #japanguide

Japan’s tastiest chain in London?! 🍛 There’s alw

Japan’s tastiest chain in London?! 🍛

There’s always so much talk around sushi & ramen but not enough on Japanese curry in my opinion! No lie if i had to choose one meal to eat everyday for the rest of my life it’d be this, it’s my favourite comfort food in Japan which I probably eat a bit too often if i’m honest 🤭

When we were back in London this winter, my husband was missing Japanese food & my dad being a frequent visitor of @cocoichibanya_uk suggested we check it out! I was keen to see if it lives up to the Japanese standard too 😄

🍛 My go-to order is fried chicken, veggies & cheese, spice level 5/6 with 250g rice 🍚 see to the end of the reel for my thoughts!

Overall though I love that it’s an authentic taste of Japan in London so I’ll definitely return next time I’m over for a long stay again, I just wish they’d expand more across the UK! 🇬🇧

Have you been? Let me know your order & spice level too 🤭 And if you’re going to Japan for a holiday definitely make sure to stop into a Cocoichi’s! 😋

#cocoichibanya #japanesecurry #japaneserestaurant #londonrestaurant #japanesefood

Japan’s early blooming sakura 🌸⬇️ If you’re visit

Japan’s early blooming sakura 🌸⬇️

If you’re visiting Japan in January & February, don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’re too early for cherry blossoms! You can still see them, you just need to know where & when to go 😉

January & February are still such underrated months when it comes to international tourists visiting Japan & yet for me it’s one of the best times of the year for sakura! Mid-late Feb especially is my favourite time to see Japan’s cherry blossoms as the early blooming varieties are pinker & more vivid than the somei yoshino variety that late March & early April season is known for - their colour just pops!! Being off-peak means cheaper hotels & flights too! ✈️ & you don’t need to worry about the weather either as these months are clearer & sunnier so you can also catch Mt. Fuji more easily too 🗻

Now onto the places featured in this clip!

🌸 Atami - Itokawa Promenade Sakura Festival is held now until Feb 8th

🌸 Toi Sakura Festival is held from January 17th - February 11th

🌸 Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival held Feb 7th - March 8th

🌸 Matsuda Cherry Blossom Festival held Feb 14th - March 8th

🌸 Sakura Jingu shrine, Tokyo (usually late Feb)

🌸 Ebara shrine, Tokyo (mid-late Feb)

🌸 Kuramae shrine, Tokyo (usually late Feb - early March)

🌸 Aogehari river, Washinomiya, Saitama - head to Washinomiya shrine & then wander along the river (late Feb)

Don’t forget to save to help plan your trip! 🔖

🌸 Make sure to follow @bassetts.bouken for more cherry blossom spots & Japan travel tips! 🇯🇵

#cherryblossomseason #sakuraseason #japan #cherryblossomfestival #sakuramatsuri

A month by month Japan travel guide for 2026 🇯🇵

A month by month Japan travel guide for 2026 🇯🇵

Even though there are more popular months to visit, there really is no bad month to visit Japan! There are always unique events and seasonal experiences to have no matter the time. Hopefully this will give you some inspiration for your upcoming travels!

So who’s planning to come or return to Japan in 2026? And let me know which of these places are on your list to visit in the comments! 🇯🇵

#japantravelguide #japanguide #unknownjapan

2025 wrap up ✨ A year of ups & downs & as expecte

2025 wrap up ✨

A year of ups & downs & as expected of a Snake year, a year of transformation 🐍 love documenting some key moments in this type of reflective post as my instagram’s like my little diary so for the record…

👰🏻‍♀️ We settled into married life & celebrated our first wedding anniversary, time is flying by 🥹

🏥 Had my first surgery - a rather scary experience navigating this sort of thing in your second language but the kindness & care of the nurses & doctors in Japan really helped put me at ease 🥹

🇯🇵 Explored more of what Japan has to offer by visiting two new prefectures to me - Fukui & Yamaguchi (both so underrated!!), returned to one of my favourite cities in the world, Seoul, & travelled internationally to new cities/countries - Hong Kong (their Disneyland is AMAZING!), and my epic summer solo Eurotrip to Brussels, Hamburg & Stockholm! 🌍

🇬🇧 I relived my teenage years seeing Oasis & the Libertines (never too old 🥹) & rediscovered how beautiful my home country really is after a trip to the Cotswolds, a place everyone must visit at least once! The longer I live in Japan, the more I grow to appreciate the differences & beauty of the UK

🐰 I was reunited with my lil bun buns Apollo & Kinako - returning home to them always brightens my day 🥹

👩🏻‍🏫 Workwise I was delighted to be reappointed Head of Science & in my spare time I’ve enjoyed helping promote local prefectures & cities close to my heart 🇯🇵

🪭 Experienced real bucket list Japan festivals like the Awa Odori & Heso Matsuri & witnessed the world of Japanese female wrestling - surprisingly such fun!

Overall 2025 was a wonderful chapter to add to the storybook & I’m grateful for all the experiences I’ve had, many of which are thanks to your support 🙏 this year has taught me to slow down as I’ve been a bit too burnt out & sick lately so I’ll definitely be trying to take it a liiiiittle slower next year (easier said than done 😅) & trying something new!

Excited for what 2026 will bring & sharing more of what Japan has to offer with you whether that’s unique events or underrated travel spots! 🇯🇵 ✨

#2025 #2025recap #goodbye2025 #lifeinjapan

☃️ Disney Christmas Moments 🎄 I still remember De

☃️ Disney Christmas Moments 🎄

I still remember December of 2011, my first year living in Japan & at this time of year, naturally I was feeling quite homesick. The beautifully stylised illuminations Tokyo offers just didn’t capture that warm, fuzzy feeling of Christmas 🥺

Growing up, Christmas meant watching the Disney’s Very Merry Christmas Sing-along video every year (any other millennials remember it? It’s on Youtube & is so nostalgic!) and at the end there was a scene of Disneyland’s Christmas Parade - something I always dreamt of seeing. To be able to visit TDL so easily as an adult living in Japan still feels like a real pinch-me moment 🥹

So this time, I decided to do something I once thought was a bit crazy & get a good spot to wait two hours for the Christmas parade, so that I could see Santa, Mickey & friends up close 🎅🏻 & it was so worth it - the inner child is healed 😆 there really is no place in Japan that captures the magic of Christmas as well as Disneyland 🎄

My Disneyland traditions featured:
🥐 Breakfast at Sweetheart Cafe for all the tasty limited edition pastries 😋

☕️ Lunch at Center Street Coffeehouse, the Baymax plate with beef stroganoff & curry is my favourite meal at TDR 🤤 & we had the Special Christmas Dessert Set - delish! 🍰

To those who celebrate, I wish you a very Merry Christmas filled with love & joy🎄

#disneychristmas #tokyodisneyland #tokyodisneyresort #tdr

Kurkku Fields 🍄 Japan’s sustainable escape close t

Kurkku Fields 🍄 Japan’s sustainable escape close to Tokyo

If you’re looking for a sustainable getaway unique in Japan, head to Kurkku Fields, a creative village where art, nature, and agriculture all come together and it’s one of the most peaceful, inspiring places I’ve explored in Japan. There’s so much to offer, so whilst you can do a day trip, I really recommend staying overnight to take full advantage…

📚 Enter the Library in the Earth, a library that seamlessly blends into the natural scenery, like something out of the Hobbit, and curl up with a good book in a nook - many of which are nature based which I loved!

🧑‍🌾 Take part in a farm tour where you can learn about the self-sufficiency of Kurkku Fields and its focus on the circular economy. I was impressed to hear that 80% of their electricity is generated by the solar panels! ☀️ I loved being able to pick your own vegetables to be part of your dinner too 🫑

🍽️ Experience an intimate farm-to-table fine dining experience like no other at their restaurant Perus, with seasonal, organic ingredients grown and harvested on site and the boar meat hunted nearby. The stand out dish was the tomato & basil soup with buffalo mozzarella - made fresh in the morning by their buffalo, the only place in Japan that makes it this way!

🛏️ Stay in a cosy “cocoon” overlooking the entire field and wake up to the sounds of birdcall. Staying overnight, you can enjoy the sauna, visit the restaurant perus for dinner, choose to cook farm crops in the shared kitchen lounge and access the Library in the Earth - we had it to ourselves at night!

🍄 Dotted around the field, you’ll find pieces of art to spark your inspiration including Yayoi Kusama’s Guidepost to the New World

🥐 Stop by the bakery, charcuterie and shop to pick up some tasty souvenirs before heading home!

📍 Kurkku Fields (@kurkkufields), Kisarazu, Chiba
🚌 There are direct buses from Tokyo station to Kurkku Fields (taking just under 2 hours)
🚗 About an hour - 90 minutes from Tokyo

#pr #VisitChiba #chibaprefecture #chiba #kurkkufields #japantravel #japantrip #hiddenjapan #unknownjapan #japanhotel #sustainabletravel #sustainablestay

🎄 White Christmas Afternoon Tea ❄️ This winter @h

🎄 White Christmas Afternoon Tea ❄️

This winter @hyattregencytokyo & Pierre Hermé Paris have come together to create a beautifully indulgent White Christmas Afternoon Tea featuring vanilla as the star ingredient ❄️

The savoury selections are rich & warming, perfect for these chilly days lately! I especially loved the Beef Stew en Croûte with melt-in-your-mouth beef topped with crispy golden pastry 🤤

The sweets were, as expected of Pierre Hermé - exceptional. I was impressed to experience vanilla desserts with such depth & versatility! Of course my favourite had to be the Madagascar vanilla cream macaron… one that I’ll keep dreaming of!

Set in the truly iconic hotel lobby bar beneath three grand Swarovski chandeliers, the cosy booths over an intimate setting to celebrate Christmas with someone special 🥂

📍 Nineteen Eighty Lounge & Bar, Hyatt Regency Tokyo, Shinjuku
📆 Until January 31, on Wednesdays you can enjoy this as an evening tea instead of in the afternoon (which is what I did and it made for the perfect post-work treat 🥰)
🥂 If you’re looking for somewhere special to spend New Years in Tokyo they have a very special event on and I can’t imagine a more stunning venue to welcome the new year!

#pr #hyattregencytokyo #hyattregency #hyatt #ハイアットリージェンシー #afternoontea #tokyofood #tokyochristmas #winterintokyo #winterinjapan #tokyotrip #japanfood #christmasintokyo

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