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Anna - Exploring Japan's Secrets

Anna - Exploring Japan's Secrets

@empty.japan

Followers: 1,345,404Posts: 340Following: 287

📍 Live in Nagano, Japan 💡 Get my MAP and Travel Guides ⬇️

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A year ago, I moved from Kyoto to Nagano. Since then, I’ve been exploring every corner of this prefecture - and now, my Nagano guide is finally here!
Every place in this guide feels special to me. I hope it helps you fall in love with Nagano the way I did ❤️

All locations are accessible by public transport and suitable for all seasons.

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I’ve wanted to try making videos like this for a while - mini vlogs with no music, just simple, everyday moments of life in Japan. I finally put one together, and I’d love to know what you think 🫶

No worries, I’ll still be sharing a lot of travel content and adventures through Japan too! 🧳

Friendly reminder: phones aren’t allowed in the Onsen.

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My favorite time to visit Japan ⬇️
Most people dream of coming during cherry blossom season - and yes, it is magical. But there are a few things to keep in mind:

🌸It can be really unpredictable. Even with all the sakura forecasts, there’s always a chance you’ll arrive too early or too late.
🌸It’s also arguably the most crowded (unless you’ve done your homework… or just used my guides 😄) and expensive time of the year.
🌸And if you come too early, the trees are still bare and the scenery can look a bit grey.

So unless seeing cherry blossoms is the absolute main goal of your trip, it might be worth considering other seasons.

My two personal favorite months are May and October.

If you’re coming in May, definitely try to book after May 10. Before that, it’s Golden Week in Japan - a string of public holidays when locals travel a lot, which means higher prices and more crowds. But after that, everything becomes perfect: the weather is warm (but not hot), the crowds thin out, and the scenery turns incredibly lush and green.

It’s also the season of Ao Momiji - bright green maples! If you’re heading to Kyoto, check out Kitano Tenmangu Shrine. Their garden is especially beautiful this time of year, with the maples at their most vibrant green.

And then there’s October. It’s NOT red maple season yet (which means fewer crowds than in November), but you can already feel the autumn vibes. The leaves start turning yellow, typhoon season is usually over, and the weather is just perfect. It’s that time when you want to walk around all day just because of how nice it feels outside.

P.S. Not sure when to visit? I wrote about every month in Japan to help you choose the perfect time for your trip! Check the highlight TIPS ❤️

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Planning to create similar previews for each of my travel guides (there are 8 now!). They might help you choose which days to include in your trip 🥰

The “Secrets of Kansai” guide is very special to me… When I lived in Kyoto, I visited all these places countless times. Each one is easily accessible by public transport and has its own unique vibe.

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When I lived in Kyoto, I didn’t even know who my neighbors were. Moving here changed everything. People actually stop to talk, check in, share news.

*Not saying it’s like this everywhere in rural Japan though.

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If you asked me to describe Japan in just 3 words, for me it would be:

1. Safety
2. Food
3. Discovery

If you are traveling around Japan, you’ll experience something new every single day. And the fact that Japan is so compact only adds to that. Everything is so accessible, yet every place feels like its own little world.

What would your 3 words be?

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One of my favorite Ghibli movies is From Up on Poppy Hill. It captures something I really love - Japan’s seaside towns. Everything feels slightly different from regular villages: the houses, the air, and the food. Seafood is good everywhere in Japan, but for the best flavors, you’ve got to head to the coast. This time I had crab miso soup, sashimi, and one of my all-time favorites - monkfish burger.

I’ve been posting these slightly longer vlogs for a while now, and honestly, feels like I’ll never get tired of them. Do you enjoy this kind of format, or prefer shorter videos?

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And it’s just this never-ending cycle🤣
Also I wanted to try out fishing in the mountains of Shiga kogen for a while and now I am thinking of inviting his family and go together.

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Did you notice the swallow carvings in the video?
This place is called Tsubame Onsen and in Japanese, tsubame means “swallow”. I love how places in Japan often pay tribute to their names or local legends. You’ll spot little swallow ornaments all over the area.

And of course, the onsen part of the name is there for a reason as this is one of the most beautiful wild hot springs I’ve ever been to, tucked between the mountains with almost no one around… except, according to the signs, maybe a few bears 🫣

So if you’re heading into the mountains, don’t forget a bear bell 🔔

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There are several spots near Kyoto that hold a really special place in my heart. I’m planning to make mini vlogs or posts about each one:

📍Kyoto by the Sea (Amanohashidate, Ine)
📍Shiga Prefecture (Mt Hiei, Omihachiman)
📍Uji (matcha town)
📍Kayabuki no Sato (a charming traditional village)
📍Ohara

If you’d like to visit any of these places, I’ve created detailed online travel guides for each of them - they’re all easy to reach by public transport and beautiful in every season ❤️

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And sometimes they include tips on how to store everything, along with sweet handwritten thank you notes 🥰

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