Japan

Japanese chef known for zero-waste philosophy at Tokyo’s L’Effervescence is given a special award by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Naoshima, a previously obscure island in the Seto Inland Sea, has become one of Japan’s most compelling cultural destinations.

The Japanese capital’s knack of fusing ancient and contemporary can be experienced to thrilling effect in the city’s Taito ward.

Kyushu and Shikoku offer charismatic cities, a wealth of spiritual intrigue, and some of Japan’s most heartbreakingly beautiful nature.

Osaka’s Nakanoshima Island is the city’s highbrow hub with three key museums openings windows to science, ceramics, and fine art.

Can experience be shared through recollections? One writer sets out to find the answer in the Okinawa archipelago where his grandfather fought in one of the defining battles of WW2.

Japan’s artisanal traditions may date back millennia, but visitors can turn their hand to learning ancient skills through local knowledge.

An unexpected visitation in the 16th Century by Portuguese sailors blown off course by the weather kicked off a craze for baking in Japan that endures to this day.

Japan’s Manzai school of double-act comedy may date back for millennia, but it remains hugely popular with audiences across the country.

Japan’s array of classical gardens showcases the country’s penchant for considered minimalism at a glorious zenith.

Sharp-fanged and sword-wielding, Fudo Myoo inspires Japan’s feared Yakuza. Yet the deity is also worshipped by Buddhists worldwide.

Tradition as well as religion still play an important role in this sporting spectacle, and travelers who are lucky enough can watch sumo wrestlers from their training to the ring.