Your Quintessential Travel Guide to Japan's Must-visit Locations
GUIDE/
TOKYO
Sky Lounge Stellar Garden
A sophisticated sky lounge on the 33rd floor of The Prince Park Tower Tokyo, offering panoramic city views, vistas of Tokyo Tower, and expertly crafted cocktails.
Rainbow Bridge is more than a suspension bridge over Tokyo Bay — it’s a cinematic threshold between old Tokyo and its engineered future. Illuminated each night and framed by the neon skyline of Odaiba and Tokyo Tower, the bridge blends history, futurism, and atmosphere into one unforgettable view. This Deep Dive explores its origins, symbolism, and why its nightscape has become one of Tokyo’s most iconic visions.
3 min read
Guide / TOKYO
Blue Note Tokyo
Tokyo’s top jazz club combines world-class live shows with elegant French-inspired dining in an intimate, candlelit venue.
A landmark Ginza stationery store featuring multiple floors of writing tools, design goods, and art supplies curated for creators, professionals, and enthusiasts.
Blending subtle elegance with modern amenities, Kyoto Tokyu Hotel provides a peaceful stay close to central Kyoto’s temples, markets, and transportation options.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove blends centuries of Kyoto history with a rare, atmospheric beauty. Crowded or empty, it remains one of Japan’s most enduring landscapes.
4 min read
Guide / KYOTO
Ryosoku-in Temple
Subtemple of Kenninji in Gion, known for its seasonal gardens, meditation programs, and modern cultural events.
Osaka’s Chūō Ward distills the city’s contradictions into nine square kilometers—history at Osaka Castle, neon in Dotonbori, commerce in Shinsaibashi. Here Michelin dining meets takoyaki stalls, and boutique hotels rise over smoky izakaya. MK Travel guides you through the heart of Osaka: where to eat, drink, stay, and wander in a district that is at once chaotic, charismatic, and endlessly alive.
5 min read
Guide / OSAKA
Osaka Takashimaya
Flagship department store in Namba offering luxury fashion, gourmet foods, cosmetics, and cultural experiences all in one place.
A moody Shinsaibashi bar centered on craft cocktails, consistent technique, and a cozy, dimly lit atmosphere designed for slow conversation and late-night vibes.
Kobe’s Chūō Ward is the city’s cosmopolitan core, where harborfront icons meet hillside shrines and world-class dining. Walk Meriken Park’s open waterfront, ride the Nunobiki Ropeway into green calm, and taste the legend of Kobe beef in steakhouses that perfected marbled flavor. From Nankinmachi’s lantern-lit lanes to intimate cocktail bars and museums designed by masters, Chūō Ward carries Kobe’s story in every view, flavor, and quiet corner.
4 min read
Guide / KOBE
Hitomaru Kadan
Historic ryokan in Akashi offering refined kaiseki cuisine, garden-view suites, and a peaceful seaside setting overlooking the Akashi Strait.
On the eastern shores of Lake Biwa lies Hikone—a castle town where time slows and beauty endures. Wander its Edo-period gardens, savor Omi beef in quiet restaurants, and rest beneath the gaze of a centuries-old fortress. Let MK guide you through Shiga’s still waters and hushed paths to discover Japan as it truly is—unhurried, reflective, alive.
4 min read
Guide / SHIGA
LuLufe
A small dessert café in Ōtsu serving carefully prepared sweets and café drinks in a calm, residential setting.
Between mountains and the Genkai Sea, Itoshima unfolds as a living hymn to creation. On MK’s driver-guided tour, explore Sakurai Futamigaura’s wedded rocks, pause in seaside cafés, taste Mataichi salt pudding born of patience and prayer, and voyage into the divine Keya no Ōto sea cave. This is Itoshima — where nature, craft, and spirit move in quiet harmony, and every road leads a little closer to creation itself.
5 min read
Guide / FUKUOKA
Tōka Ebisu Shrine
A lively Fukuoka shrine dedicated to Ebisu, the god of good fortune and commerce, renowned for its vibrant New Year festival that attracts crowds from all over Kyushu.
A Hakata specialty restaurant serving premium grilled chicken over rice, enjoyed in three traditional styles inspired by Nagoya’s hitsumabushi tradition.
A seaside kaiseki restaurant in Itoshima serving refined, seasonal Japanese cuisine made with local seafood and vegetables, with views of the Genkai Sea.
Sapporo’s Chūō Ward is the city’s core—Odori’s green corridor, red-brick Akarenga, observatories overlooking night lights, and markets filled with crab, uni, and steaming miso ramen. Explore shrines, ride ropeways, enjoy jingisukan fresh off the grill, and relax in an urban ryokan. MK’s guide takes you to the best spots—quietly, precisely, deliciously.
8 min read
Guide / SAPPORO
BREWERY1876
A contemporary Sapporo craft brewery and taproom serving house-made beers focused on balance, drinkability, and seasonal flavors.
Often dismissed as “boring,” Nagoya hides its brilliance in plain sight. In Naka Ward—the city’s beating heart—history, craftsmanship, and nightlife converge. From the gold-crested towers of Nagoya Castle to the neon pulse of Sakae and the timeless calm of Osu Kannon, this is Japan unfiltered: industrious, genuine, and alive. MK reveals the real Nagoya—bold, grounded, and unforgettable.
5 min read
Guide / NAGOYA
Hōsa
A quiet café inside the Nagoya Noh Theater that serves Japanese sweets, light meals, and tea in a calm, culturally rich environment.
