Best Cherry Blossom Nighttime Illuminations in Kyoto
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
2w ago
Evening illuminations during sakura season are popular at temples, castles, and gardens in Kyoto, Japan. This list shares the best nighttime cherry blossom spots throughout the city, with 2024 dates & details, plus our recommended 1-night itinerary if you only have a single night to see all of the special lights. We’ve experienced sakura season in Japan many times, including several month-long stays in Kyoto. During those extended visits, we’ve made a concerted effort to attend nighttime illuminations. Over the past decade, we’ve attended at least two-dozen different evening ope ..read more
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Cherry Blossom Night Lighting at Kiyomizudera Temple
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
2w ago
For sakura season, Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, Japan has special night illumination. We’ve visited during the night lighting for cherry blossom season many times, and share some of our experiences, photos and tips we’ve learned during the visit. (Updated March 14, 2024.) During the 2024 cherry blossom season, Kiyomizudera Temple is open for nighttime illumination from 6 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. (9:00 p.m. last entry) from March 23 to 31, 2024. You’ll notice this is only about a weeklong window, which is really short. Most of the other temples and gardens that have special openings are at least ..read more
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TeamLab Review: Tourist Trap or Tokyo Top Pick?
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
2w ago
TeamLab Planets and Borderless are interactive digital art museums in Tokyo Japan that offer galleries of immersive and Instagrammable surreal installations. This review explains what that actually means, shares photos from inside the exhibits and covers whether it’s worth the time, money & effort to visit, plus tips for buying tickets. teamLab offers a number of temporary exhibitions and permanent galleries around the world, with teamLab Borderless and teamLab Planets in Tokyo being the flagship locations. There’s also a teamLab Borderless Shanghai, and teamLab SuperN ..read more
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Volcano House Hotel Review: Hawaii National Park Lodge
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
3M ago
Volcano House is the National Park Lodge located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with views of Halema’uma’u Crater at the rim of Kilauea caldera that costs ~$300 to 500 per night. This review features room photos, my experience with the accommodations & amenities, and thoughts from my stay. Volcano House is “Exhibit A” in the argument that TripAdvisor and other review aggregator sites are unreliable. When I was first researching my trip to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, I looked into where I’d stay. While I’m a big fan of the natural beauty of the US National Parks, I’m also a ..read more
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Many Glacier Hotel Review: Flagship National Park Lodge
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
3M ago
Many Glacier Hotel is a National Park Lodge located inside, you guessed it, Glacier National Park in Montana that costs ~$300 and up per night. This review features room photos, my experience with the accommodations & amenities, and thoughts from my stay about the views, restaurants, and location. Speaking of location and views, you know what, if the photo above doesn’t sell you on Many Glacier Hotel, there’s nothing I can write that will. Many Glacier Hotel offers gorgeous views of Grinnell Peak and Swiftcurrent Lake, and between that and its surprisingly sophisticated Swi ..read more
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Hello Again! Where We’ve Been & Are Going in 2024
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
3M ago
You might be wondering, who are these people and why did they email me?! If so, we don’t blame you. Many of you started following our newsletter for the updates we provided during Japan’s border closure and subsequent (slow) reopening process. Aside from some minor updates here and there to keep things accurate for 2023, we’ve largely been MIA since returning from a month-long trip to Japan following the acceptance of self-guided tourists. After the world went sideways and things got derailed in early 2020, we had huge goals for this site and our own travels in 2023. It was to be the yea ..read more
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How Christmas in Japan is Celebrated: Unique Traditions & American Imports
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
3M ago
There are two things you’ll see at Christmas in Japan that might make you do a double-take: Colonel Sanders as Santa and gorgeous cakes at convenience stores. This post discusses unique traditions started by KFC, 7-Eleven and Disney, and shares our experiences spending the holiday season in Kyoto and Tokyo. Let’s start with how Christmas is celebrated in Japan, which differs from the United States and Europe since only around 1% of the population in Japan is Christian. Of course, Christmas has become as much of a commercial and symbolic holiday in the West as it has a religious one. Over ..read more
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Why You Should Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine at Night
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
3M ago
Fushimi Inari Taisha is an incredibly popular shrine in Kyoto, Japan that’s open 24/7. It’s especially beautiful at night, and this post features photos & tips of making the most of it. Visiting after sunset is one of the best travel hacks, as you can avoid crowds and have a unique experience. (Updated December 22, 2023.) In the latest update to this guide for nighttime at Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社), I wanted to share a couple of things. First, it’s now even more important than ever that you visit Fushimi Inari either before 9 a.m. or at sunset (staying until nightfall so you get ..read more
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Is Japan Rail Pass Worth Buying? (2023 Prices & Review)
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
11M ago
Wondering whether the Japan Rail Pass is worth the money? This buying guide covers where you can use the JR Pass, how much value you’ll get on a normal trip to Tokyo and Kyoto, and answers to frequently asked questions about the unlimited train ticket. It also covers our many experiences purchasing the JR Pass and also not buying it. (Updated May 1, 2023.) For starters, that last point–that we sometimes do not buy the Japan Rail Pass–is probably the most pertinent. We’ll be up front with you: just like every review of the JR Pass, this guide contains affiliate links for bu ..read more
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Face Masks in Japan: Rules v. Reality
Travel Caffeine - Travel Tips & Photography by Tom Bricker
by Tom Bricker
1y ago
We just returned from about one month in Japan during fall colors season, with time in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kanazawa, and elsewhere. From that, we have a lot to share. Let’s start with a common topic: mask rules and expectations, as well as other health safety measures. Japan’s masking culture has been well-documented elsewhere, and we aren’t pretending to be ‘pioneers’ on this frontier. However, much has not been discussed in the context of travel this year and in 2023. Additionally, we were surprised and frustrated on a number of occasions by other health protocol–or the lack thereof ..read more
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