General Travel

Start planning now for your trip to see Sakura – the flowering cherry blossoms that blanket Japan each spring.  Reservations for 2027 tours are available beginning August 16, 2026.  It is [...]

We are a Japan-only package tour operator in business for more than 10 years.   Over that time our on-the-ground local management, staff and guides have found highlights and hidden gems for our [...]

Getting around and exploring Japan is a big part of the adventure once you get here.  Here are ten resources – current as of January 2025 – about some of these essential details.  A [...]

Artisan Pacific Travel offers pre-cruise and post-cruise package tour extensions for Japan cruises.  These extensions offer you a closer look at its unique culture, cuisine, regions, and history. [...]

There has never been a better time to explore a side of Japan you won’t see with the big tour companies, with a guided package tour from Artisan Pacific Travel.   Tokyo is quirky, eclectic, [...]

If you have already visited Japan you probably have seen a lot of Tokyo and Kyoto. But when the locals travel in Japan, they may go to the beach and swim and snorkel, eat great street food at [...]

Kamakura  The historic and exceptionally interesting town of Kamakura, a former capital of Japan, is one of our favorite spots. Less than 30 minutes from Yokohama and about an hour from Tokyo, it [...]

Yokohama is one of our favorite cities. It is the second largest city in Japan with 5 million residents and sits adjacent to Tokyo. In fact, without a map or signs you would be hard pressed to [...]

Sumo is one of our all-time favorite sporting pastimes, anywhere.  And not to be missed when you travel to Japan. We tell you why in a previous blog post and today we highlight a few of our [...]

I started this post a few months ago, watching the end of the 4th game of the Japan “Climax” Baseball series on TV, after having watched a one-sided first World Series game earlier in the day. [...]