East Asia Travel Guides (Asia)

A white Shinkansen bullet train waiting at a covered platform at Tokyo Station, with the city's office towers rising behind the tracks

Asia

Japan by Train: Passes, IC Cards and the Luggage Rule

The nationwide rail pass is not automatically the cheapest way to cross Japan. How to choose between it and point-to-point tickets, what an IC card quietly covers, and the oversized-baggage rule that catches visitors at the Shinkansen gate.

The Meridian Desk · 11 min read

Thousands of vermilion torii gates forming a glowing tunnel up the wooded slope of Mount Inari at Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto, in early morning light

Asia

Kyoto Slowly: A Pilgrimage Through Temples and the Art of Eating the Seasons

In Japan's thousand-year capital, the raked garden and the lacquer bowl are the same idea told two ways. A guide to Kyoto's shrines, its market, and the table that ties them together.

Aoi Nakamura · 12 min read

Neon-lit crowds crossing a busy Tokyo intersection at night

Asia

After Midnight in Tokyo: A Field Guide to Late-Night Eating

The city’s best meals often start when the last train leaves. From ramen alleys to standing sushi bars, here is how to eat well in the small hours.

Kenji Watanabe · 7 min read