In western Tokyo, Lake Okutama is a natural escape that offers scenic beauty, outdoor activities, and relaxing hot springs. Photograph courtesy of Okutama Tourism Association Taking the train through ...

I was living in Tokyo in the 1980s when the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery came up with a new concept: shinrin-yoku, translated as “forest bathing.” The idea was to get people ...

Sip shochu made from local sweet potatoes, eat sashimi from Kinkowan Bay, hike forest trails, and relax in mineral-rich baths in Kyushu.