Nele van Hout

Nele (ネイラ) is an award-winning travel writer who has been exploring Japan extensively since 2018. She now spends several months each year in Japan creating in-depth, well-structured Japan itineraries, helping 3 million annual readers explore the country. So far, she has visited 26/47 prefectures, spoken at TBEX and been featured in major publications, including MSN, Good Housekeeping, and Metro. You can connect with her on her LinkedIn or read her full story here.

Visiting Nagoro, Japan’s Scarecrow Village in Shikoku

scarecrows sitting near chopped wood on a sunny day in nagoro scarecrow village on shikoku island

Deep in the mountains of Iya Valley on Shikoku sits a small, quiet town called Nagoro. With only 25 people living here, you wouldn’t think …

some of the pokemon manhole covers in the tokyo prefecture area

Of the 400+ different Pokémon manhole covers (Poké Lids or Pokéfuta) across 40 Prefectures, a few can be found in Tokyo Prefecture. To add to …

Looking for the best Ryokans in Osaka? This guide will take you through the top options for every budget, with some featuring an Onsen (either …

nagoya castle on a cloudy day with a large crowd in front of it

I had passed Nagoya Station on the way to Kansai from Tokyo many times before I finally got off on my 4th trip to Japan. …

In my 8 years of travelling to Japan, I’ve watched it get more and more popular. And with every trip, travelling there gets easier as …

Most people will know (and visit) Kobe for the beef and the beef alone. It took me until my 3rd trip to Japan to finally …

Osaka should definitely be on your Japan itinerary. Located just a short train ride away from Kyoto, Japan’s second city, is famous for its welcoming …