Travel

Hachimanzaka and the old public hall, by tram

Hachimanzaka, the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward and the red brick warehouses all sit on one tram line. A 1910 hall upstairs, and a slope that becomes a different place after dark.

Mount Hakodate at night: what to do when the ropeway is closed

The Mount Hakodate ropeway was closed for inspection from 20 October to 8 November 2026. Skipping the outdoor bus queue by taxi, and why the Hakodate night view is nothing like Tokyo.

Goryokaku Tower: the star is only visible from above

The star shape of Goryokaku cannot be seen from the ground. Looking down on the autumn fort from 90 metres, and the case for letting a taxi driver guide you around Hakodate.

fav Hakodate: five minutes from the station, and the room changes colour

A 30-room hotel five minutes from Hakodate Station west exit, beside the morning market. Lighting you can recolour, a freestanding tub, and 20 free parking spaces.

Sapporo to Hakodate on the Hokuto: four hours, and a disappointing ekiben

Sapporo to Hakodate is close to four hours by limited express. The seafood ekiben was a letdown; a pressed squid cracker bought inside Hakodate Station was the best thing I ate that day.

InterContinental Sapporo: You Do Not Need a High Floor

I stayed on the twelfth floor of InterContinental Sapporo, the middle of the guest room block. The Toyohira River, the mountains and Sapporo Dome all fit in one window. Read this before you pay for a high floor.

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo: the air changes on the 38th floor

A night at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo in the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower. The tension at the valet stand dissolved the moment the lift reached the 38th floor.

Three Hours in Yokohama Hotels: a Morning Pool, a New Year, and Fireworks from the Top Floor

Three separate hours spent in Yokohama hotels: the indoor pool at The Kahala with nowhere to be, the turn of the year at InterContinental Pier 8, and the Kaikosai fireworks seen from the top of the Westin.

Luxury-logTravel

Seoul, Morning and Night: Samgyetang at Nine, Myeongdong at Eight

The two ends of one day in Seoul: a whole chicken in a bowl at nine in the morning, and a street at eight at night where you cannot walk where you want to.

Food and BeveragesTravel

Busan, August 2026: the Westin Chosun, a Temple on the Sea, a Live Octopus, and the Blue Line Park at Night

August 2026 in Busan. The Westin Chosun on Haeundae beach as a base, then Haedong Yonggungsa on the rocks, a local kitchen, a live octopus at Shindonga market, and the Blue Line Park after dark.

Shodoshima in One Day by Car: the Ferry, Fresh Somen, Olive Park and the Tide Table

Crossing from Takamatsu with the car on the ferry, fresh somen at a roadside station, Olive Park on the hill, and the sand path we arrived too late for — with the fares, opening hours and tide-table detail we actually checked.

SolaVilla Umi Terrace Minami-Awaji: a barbecue on the terrace, and the sun going down into the sea

The first night of a trip through Awaji Island, Kagawa and Shodoshima. We stayed at SolaVilla Umi Terrace Minami-Awaji, grilled dinner on our own terrace and watched the sun set over the sea. How to spend an evening at a villa with few restaurants nearby, and what to know before you book.

Yamaroku Shoyu on Shodoshima: a wooden-barrel brewhouse home to a hundred microbes, and ice cream with soy sauce

We visited the wooden-barrel brewhouse at Yamaroku Shoyu on Shodoshima, with its distinctive smell and, we were told, around a hundred kinds of microbes. Then ice cream with Tsuru Bishio soy sauce and an iced coffee at a veranda-style table — a quiet family luxury.

Food and BeveragesTravel

[Toyosu] Mundo Pixar: Twelve Rooms, and the Longest Stop Was Remy’s Kitchen

Mundo Pixar at CREVIA BASE Tokyo in Toyosu, seen with the family: twelve rooms rebuilding Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo and Coco at full scale — and the Ratatouille kitchen where I stayed longest. Plus walk-up ticket availability and the sequels now confirmed.

[Busan] A Container-Built Miffy Cafe on Yeongdo, With a Terrace Over the Harbor

Miffy Cafe Busan: three stories of orange shipping containers on a Yeongdo hillside, a terrace overlooking Busan harbor, photo spots at every turn — and one sold-out plush.

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