Get to know Kyushu through its cities on this episode of Japan Travel Smart! We'll talk about what makes each of them unique and worth checking out on a visit to Kyushu. Fukuoka -Yatai food stalls -Tenjin shopping -Tonkotsu ramen -JR Hakata City Rooftop Garden Nagasaki -Peace Park Nagasaki -Atomic Bomb Museum -Castella cake Kumamoto -Kumamoto Castle -Kumamon Square Kagoshima -Senganen Garden -Reimeikan Museum -Sakurajima Miyazaki -Chicken Nanban -Miyazaki Beef -Aoshima Beach Beppu and Oita -Hot ...
Jun 01, 2025•24 min•Ep. 16
Flying to Japan is expensive, right? Right? Well, it certainly can be, but it doesn't have to be needlessly expensive on a budget. Find out more on this episode of Japan Travel Smart! Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
May 11, 2025•26 min•Ep. 15
Regional rail passes in Japan offer foreign visitors the chance to binge on exploration of a unique region in Japan, but what exactly is the trick to them? Can they hope to match the former glory of the JR Pass or is it truly over? In this episode we blow the lid off regional rail passes! Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
Apr 20, 2025•28 min•Ep. 14
Dare to head away from the well trodden path and go into coastal Iwate for a different Japan! Find out how we did it on this episode of Japan Travel Smart! Entry points by rail: Ichinoseki, Hanamaki, Morioka, Hachinohe JR East ‘Joyful Trains’ https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/joyful/ Hinabi excursion train POKÉMON with YOU Train Tono City, Tono Furusato Village Kamaishi City Sanriku Railway Rias Line Miyako City Jodogahama Beach Miyako Umineko Maru Jodogahama Boat Cruise Kitayamazaki Cape Iwaizu...
Mar 30, 2025•24 min•Ep. 13
What Japanese from the basic phrase book have we found to be actually useful when traveling in Japan? In this episode of Japan Travel Smart we bring up better Japanese for travel that we really use. Sumimasen vs Gomenasai Dozo Shitsureishimasu! Orimasu Hitori, Futari, Sannin, Yonin Osusume wa... Mou ikkai! Gochisousama! Okaikei onegaishimasu Ojamashimasu! Gomen kudasai! Domo. Kanshashimasu Kekkou desu Itekimasu! Tadaima Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitte...
Mar 09, 2025•20 min•Ep. 12
There exist some popular places in Japan that are a bit dubious at best. In this episode we’ve come up with 9 examples of spots in Japan that you might want to reconsider visiting for reasons that may shock you! Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
Feb 16, 2025•25 min•Ep. 11
The best rail travel tips and advice for the best rail travel country! It all begins here on Japan Travel Smart! Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
Jan 26, 2025•24 min•Ep. 10
Get our unique takes on Osaka on this special “smart to visit” episode of Japan Travel Smart! Airports Kansai International Airport Osaka International (Itami) Airport Kobe Airport City centers Namba Umeda Locations Dotonbori Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan Osaka Castle and Castle Park Osaka Museum of History Shin Sekai New World Den Den Town Takedao Abandoned Railway Hike Food Takoyaki Okonomiyaki Kushikatsu Akashiyaki Observation decks Abeno Harukas Umeda Sky Building Osaka Dojimahama Tower Business c...
Jan 05, 2025•22 min•Ep. 9
What is some travel advice applicable to Japan that no one is really bringing up? Find out in this episode! Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
Dec 10, 2024•17 min•Ep. 8
So you’ve decided to do your own travel itinerary planning for your trip to Japan. But where should you start? Here are some websites that will make it easy. Websites and resources mentioned on this episode: japan-guide.com https://www.japan-guide.com/ Trip Advisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/ JNTO Travel Brochures https://www.japan.travel/brochures/eng/index.php?sort=upd_date_desc Tokyo Cheapo and Japan Cheapo https://tokyocheapo.com/ https://japancheapo.com/ Time Out Tokyo https://www.timeout....
Nov 18, 2024•18 min•Ep. 7
Is it possible that things are completely different in Japan when it comes to proper etiquette? You have no idea how much it is, and for your sake we'll tell you on this episode. Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
Oct 27, 2024•23 min•Ep. 6
In this first entry to our "Smart to visit" episode series, we introduce the attractive Shin'etsu subregion of Japan and the main draws of Nagano and Niigata prefectures! Locations named on this episode -Togakushi Shrines in Mount Togakushi -Matsumoto city and Matsumoto Castle -Nagaoka city -Sado Island Errata: at 10:32 we meant to say Shin'etsu region rather than San'in region Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixab...
Oct 13, 2024•21 min•Ep. 5
You've arrived at Narita Airport. Now what? We go in depth about your options to get into town, and we are pretty sure that your usual option isn't the best that you could be using. Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Transport service names mentioned in this episode: JR Narita Express Keisei Skyliner Keisei Sky Access Express JR Narita Line Limousine Bus LCB (Low Cost Bus) Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
Sep 29, 2024•27 min•Ep. 4
What's a better way to get around a Japanese city for cheap? And how do we even manage to always travel all over Japan on a reasonable budget? We share our best tips to save money during a Japan trip! Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
Sep 12, 2024•38 min•Ep. 3
How expensive is Tokyo? Do you need to speak the language to get around? We clear up some common misconceptions about Japan that people who visit are often caught off guard by. Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
Aug 28, 2024•29 min•Ep. 2
Why do people keep going on holiday back to Japan? That's me. I am people. We explain the reasons for the name of the podcast. We set some groundwork for what to expect content-wise and we give our best reasons for Japan to be a destination that you want to keep coming back to! Business contact and listener feedback: japantravelsmart@gmail.com X (Twitter) Instagram Music by Reza Alvin from Pixabay...
Aug 19, 2024•21 min•Ep. 1
