In this episode we sit down with John and Josephine, hosts of the YouTube channel "Uncharted Japan".

Check out Uncharted Japan on YouTube

John and Josephine have spent years traveling around Japan, often finding some of their favorite experiences well beyond the places that dominate most Japan itineraries.

Josephine also has an extraordinary connection to the country. Her family's history in Japan stretches back to 1861, and she grew up in Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe.

Together, John and Josephine created Uncharted Japan, a YouTube channel focused on the places, people, history and experiences they've discovered during their travels.

In this episode, we talk about how they choose where to go, why they don't feel the need to cram every famous destination into a trip and what they've found by exploring more of regional Japan.

We also get into castles, onsen and ryokan stays, renting a car in Japan, some memorable wrong turns and the remarkable encounter in a small rural community that helped inspire Uncharted Japan.

And we talk about something that can have a surprisingly big influence on your own trip: the travel algorithm. When YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and even AI keep showing travelers the same places and experiences, it's easy to start building a trip around what keeps appearing on your screen rather than what you're actually interested in.

There's nothing wrong with visiting Japan's famous destinations. We certainly aren't suggesting you skip Tokyo or Kyoto just to be different. But there's a lot more Japan out there, and sometimes the places you weren't originally looking for become the ones you remember most.

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Brought to you by Japan Travel Pros. We make travel planning make sense. Clients from around the world trust our Japan-based local travel experts. We give you context and good judgment, and you get the confidence to travel to Japan your way.

Get started at ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠JapanTravelPros.com/plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Episode Chapters:

(00:00) Intro & Overview

(02:05) Meet John & Josephine

(08:47) Planning Advice

(13:00) Castles & Other Gems

(21:50) Onsen Hot Springs

(25:55) Local Japan vs What Visitors Tend to See

(30:58) YouTube - Uncharted Japan

(55:12) Takeaway Advice & Thoughts

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Music:

Island Travel - by Anonyment

旅ゆけば - by Tinymemory

Investor Night - by Anonyment

(all tracks with Dova Syndrome Music Materials License (dova-s .jp)

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The Uncharted Japan YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@UnchartedJapanTravel

... and their travel blog & photos etc:

https://unchartedjapan.net/

(Cover Art for this episode by Uncharted Japan)

When does fall actually start in Japan?

You’ll see plenty of information out there describing September and October as autumn travel time in Japan. But if you’re picturing cool, crisp weather and fall colors, you may be surprised by what you actually find, especially in places like Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka.

In this Quick Tip, Ari talks about what we’ve been seeing in Japan in recent years, why long-term weather averages may not give you the full picture and why fall weather & autumn colors don’t necessarily arrive around the same time.

We’ll also look at how the timing changes depending on where you go, why November or even early-mid December may be a better fit if you’re hoping to experience autumn in much of Japan, and what to think about if your travel dates are already set.

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Brought to you by Japan Travel Pros. We make travel planning make sense. Clients from around the world trust our Japan-based local travel experts. We give you context and good judgment, and you get the confidence to travel to Japan your way.

Get started at ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠JapanTravelPros.com/plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Music:

Investor Night - by Anonyment

(all tracks with Dova Syndrome Music Materials License (dova-s .jp)

What if the onsen isn't something you squeeze into a busy Japan itinerary, but a highlight of the trip itself?

In this episode, Ari sits down with longtime friend Ken, who has spent much of his life traveling around Japan – often by car or motorcycle. After a long career in tech, Ken now has more time to explore the country and continue an ongoing search for his favorite onsen.

Ken shares what he enjoys about staying at onsen ryokan, why winter is one of his favorite times to visit and why he often spends most of his stay doing little more than soaking, eating, relaxing and doing it all over again.

Ari and Ken also talk about when driving makes sense in Japan, some of the challenges visitors should be prepared for on Japanese roads and how having a car can open up rural areas that aren't nearly as convenient to reach by train.

Plus, we cover onsen etiquette, what first-time visitors should know about public bathing and one particularly memorable lesson Ari learned at an onsen in Hakodate.

Sometimes sightseeing can wait until before check-in or after check-out. Once you're at the ryokan, the onsen might be all you need.

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Brought to you by Japan Travel Pros. We make travel planning make sense. Clients from around the world trust our Japan-based local travel experts. We give you context and good judgment, and you get the confidence to travel to Japan your way.

Get started at ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠JapanTravelPros.com/plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Episode Chapters:

(00:00) Intro & Overview

(02:28) Meet Ken

(04:20) Driving in Japan

(12:03) Onsen Overview

(21:00) Onsen Styles & Etiquette

(29:55) Ari's Embarrassing Onsen Story

(32:34) Advice for Travelers

(38:56) Closing

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Music:

Island Travel - by Anonyment

旅ゆけば - by Tinymemory

Investor Night - by Anonyment

(all tracks with Dova Syndrome Music Materials License (dova-s .jp)

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