The Japan Concierge

04/10/2026

Less hotel, more like borrowing a very cool friend’s pied-à-terre in Kyoto. 🗝️ That’s how our recent three nights at the achingly hip (in the best kind of way) Ace Hotel Kyoto felt.

Kengo Kuma’s reworking of the old Kyoto Central Telephone Office brings together warm timber, textiles by local artisans, record players in the rooms (ours even had a Fender guitar!) and a lobby that buzzes. It feels lived in yet beautifully curated.

We loved the vibe as much as the location. Tucked into Nakagyo, you’re steps from independent galleries, tiny w**e bars and some of the city’s best coffee. Walk out the door and you’ll feel like you’re living like a local rather than sightseeing like a visitor.

And don’t get us started on the F&B... Rooftop cocktails at Mr Maurice’s, Stumptown coffee to kickstart the day, and we’re still dreaming about the guacamole at Piopiko! The staff at each of these venues were fun and personable, and a big part of why we didn’t want to leave.

Ace Kyoto is now firmly on our list for travellers who want style, soul and a neighbourhood worth getting lost in.

NB: this stay was at our own cost. Every year we invest a significant amount visiting hotels across Japan, so when we recommend somewhere to our clients, it’s because we’ve slept there, eaten there and can vouch for it.

30/09/2026

Tokyo isn't just neon lights and skyscrapers. The city's backstreets are full of cozy locals' joints serving delicious and affordable meals. Like Kaotan Ramen, a humble shack next to Aoyama Cemetery that's been feeding hungry Tokyoites for decades.

🍜 Signature dish: shoyu ramen with chewy noodles, char-siu pork, fried onions and snow peas.

📍 かおたんラーメン 南青山店
東京都港区南青山2-34-30 (show this to your taxi driver!)

🚉 Nogizaka Station (Chiyoda Line) · 7 min walk

🌙 Open until 5am, the perfect last stop of the night. Closed Sundays.

Want more hidden gems like this? Follow along or DM us for a personalised itinerary. 🇯🇵

#ラーメン

15/09/2026

There's a room on the Tokaido Shinkansen now. An actual room, with a lockable door, on a train that hits 285km/h!

We've spent years telling clients that the Green Car is as good as it gets on the bullet train. That's about to change 🙌

JR Central's new Supreme Class launches on 1 October, and we've secured one of the very first bookings, Car 7, the two-person cabin. It's the more spacious of the two Supreme Class layouts (Car 10 holds a solo cabin), built around a large reclining seat facing a proper sofa-style second seat. Wood panelling, your own temperature and lighting controls, a table big enough to actually work at. The kind of space you'd expect on a private jet, not a train between Tokyo and Osaka.

Full report to follow. For now, we're just looking forward to the ride! 🚄

16/08/2026

💃🏮 Obon isn't just quiet ritual - it's also one of the liveliest weeks to be in Japan.

Bon Odori dance festivals fill parks and streets with drumming, yukata, and food stalls. On the final night, Kyoto lights giant bonfires on its surrounding mountainsides while elsewhere, families float paper lanterns down rivers to guide spirits home. 🌊

Planning a trip during Obon? Just like Golden Week, trains and airports get busy as locals head home, so book ahead - but tourist sites in big cities can actually feel calmer with residents away. 🎋

Obon is one of our favourite times of year in Japan, a time for both reflection and celebration.

#お盆 #お盆休み #盆踊り #日本の夏

14/08/2026

Welcoming spirits with a little bit of summer tradition. 🏮✨

If you happen to spot a cucumber horse and an aubergine cow standing guard outside Japanese homes this week, you're witnessing the beautiful tradition of Shōryōma during Obon.

These adorable vegetable animals are crafted with care to guide ancestral spirits on their annual journey.

The Cucumber Horse (精霊馬) is built for speed, so our ancestors can hurry home as quickly as possible. 🐎💨

The Aubergine Cow (精霊牛) is built to move slowly and carry heavy loads, so they can take their time leaving and carry all our gifts back with them. 🐂🌾

We love this thoughtful way of honouring the past and keeping memories alive. Wishing everyone a peaceful Obon season. 🤍

#精霊馬 #お盆 #お盆休み

26/06/2026

Welcome to Part 2 of our Fukuoka series. 🗾

This time, we ventured further into Kyushu to explore the winding waterways of Yanagawa, experience an historic overnight stay at Ryokan Ohana (a living piece of samurai history), and explore the region's incredible tea culture. 🍵🛶

https://thejapanconcierge.com/articles/day-trips-from-fukuoka-dazaifu-yanagawa-samurai-ryokan

Explore ancient Dazaifu, canal-laced Yanagawa and a 400-year-old samurai ryokan on these unmissable day trips from Fukuoka, Japan. Expert tips, transport info & more

11/04/2026

We loved every minute of our stay at the design led hotel. There's a real generosity of spirit in everything from the rooms, the F&B offering, right through to each and every staff interaction.

Rooms are intentionally styled to feel residential so you'll feel like you're returning to your (very chic) Tokyo apartment at the end of each day. Fans of mid-century design will love the aesthetic of this boutique property.

We don't usually advocate dining in house when Tokyo offers so many incredible dining options but we highly recommend dinner at Shikaku, one of our favourite dining experiences in recent times.

We'll definitely be back.

Send us a DM if you're keen to add The Aoyama Grand Hotel to your Japan itinerary.

Note: This post is not sponsored, we paid for our stay and meals. We just really loved the hotel!

19/03/2026

Today Japan celebrates Shunbun no Hi, the Vernal Equinox, a national public holiday honouring the balance of nature and the arrival of spring. 🌿

It is one of the most quietly beautiful moments in the Japanese calendar, rooted in the Buddhist tradition of Ohigan, a time for reflection, visiting ancestors' graves, and appreciating the world around us. Families gather, temples hold services, and across the country the first cherry blossoms begin to stir.

Dreaming of experiencing Japan next spring? Let us help you plan something truly special. 🌺

16/03/2026

Close your eyes. What do you see? 🌸

Cherry blossoms drifting like pink snow. The brilliant vermilion of a torii gate reflected in still water. A centuries-old castle rising above the morning mist. Neon lights blazing through a rain-slicked Tokyo street at midnight.

Japan is not just a destination. It is a feeling.

And the extraordinary thing? Every single one of those images is just the beginning. Behind them lies a country of extraordinary depth, quiet ritual, breath-taking beauty and unforgettable flavour.

We'd love to know, which image comes to mind first for you? Drop it in the comments below 👇

When you're ready to turn that daydream into reality, The Japan Concierge is here to craft your perfect Japanese journey, from the iconic to the wonderfully unexpected.

15/03/2026

One of Japan's most magical early summer experiences is right in the heart of Tokyo! ✨

Each year from mid-May, the gardens of Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo come alive with thousands of glowing fireflies (hotaru) 🌿✨ flickering above a centuries-old garden stream. Since 1954, the hotel has carefully cultivated its own firefly ecosystem, raising Genji fireflies in a dedicated facility and releasing larvae into the garden each January. By late May, up to 500–600 of these magical insects can be spotted on a single evening.

The best time to visit is between 19:30 and 21:00, when the garden falls dark and the fireflies begin their ethereal display around Benkei Bridge and the old watermill.

On rainy evenings, they gather near the Gojo Waterfall corridor 🌧️ - a perfectly atmospheric alternative. Add in the hotel's famous Tokyo Sea of Clouds drifting through the mist-filled garden, and you have a scene straight from a dream 🌫️

This year's Firefly Evenings Dinner Buffet runs from 17 May to 30 June 2026, with Japanese and Western menus to suit all tastes 🍽️

Fireflies hold deep cultural significance in Japan, long associated with the souls of loved ones and the fleeting beauty of summer. To witness them in the middle of a city like Tokyo is something truly special.

Planning a trip to Japan in early summer? Let us arrange the details. 🌐

#蛍