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Luca Castagnini Photography

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日本
Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka
Luca Castagnini Photography

Helping you to have the best Japan trips with tips, itineraries, maps and much more!
🌍 You might find me in Italy or Japan

18/09/2026

Everyone talks about Rome, Florence, Venice and the Amalfi Coast.

But some of my favourite places in Italy are the ones that rarely make the itinerary. 🇮🇹

And honestly, that’s part of what makes them so special.

Here are 3 I’d put on your radar:

🌊 Trieste

One of the most unexpected cities in Italy.

You get elegant Habsburg architecture, historic cafés, a dramatic coastline and a strong Central European influence that makes Trieste feel completely different from most Italian cities.

It’s refined, walkable and still feels surprisingly under the radar.

🎨 Ravenna

If you love history and art, don’t skip this one.

Ravenna was once a major centre of the Western Roman and Byzantine worlds, and today it’s home to an extraordinary collection of 5th- and 6th-century monuments and mosaics, including eight UNESCO-listed monuments.

The mosaics inside places like San Vitale and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia are absolutely incredible.

🏰 Lucca

One of my favourite ways to experience Tuscany without the pace of Florence.

The historic centre is surrounded by Renaissance walls that you can walk or cycle along, while inside you’ll find quiet streets, beautiful squares, cafés and a much slower atmosphere.

And it’s close enough to Pisa and Florence to make an easy addition to a Tuscany itinerary.

What I love about these places is that they don’t feel like they’re trying to compete with Italy’s biggest destinations.

They just have their own character.

And sometimes, the best way to experience Italy is to stop following the exact same itinerary as everyone else. 🇮🇹✨

Which one would you visit first: Trieste, Ravenna or Lucca? 👀

17/09/2026

You don’t need a luxury hotel to have a great stay in Tokyo. 🇯🇵

In fact, some of the best-value hotels in Japan are business hotels: compact, practical, well-located and designed around the things you actually need when you’re spending most of your day outside.

After staying in quite a few of them, these are 3 chains I’d actually consider:

🏨 Toyoko Inn: the budget option

Simple, predictable and usually everything you need for a few nights in Tokyo. Many properties include free breakfast, and the chain has a huge number of locations across the city and Japan.

🏨 Sotetsu Fresa Inn: the mid spot

A small step up if you want something a little more polished without moving into expensive hotel territory. This is the kind of option I’d choose when I care about comfort and convenience but still plan to spend most of my day exploring.

♨️ Dormy Inn: more premium oriented

Some Dormy Inn properties have large public baths or natural hot springs, and participating hotels serve their famous free late-night “Yonaki Soba” ramen.

After walking around Tokyo all day, coming back for a hot bath and free ramen is honestly hard to beat. 😂

And Tokyo has several Dormy Inn locations, including Ueno, Akihabara, Kanda, Ginza, Ikebukuro and Hatchobori.

The important thing with Tokyo hotels is not always finding the fanciest room.

Because if you’re spending 12 hours a day exploring Tokyo, I’d rather spend my money on the city than on a huge hotel room I barely use.

If you’re planning a Tokyo or Japan trip, comment “JAPAN” and I’ll send you the link to my travel guide.

17/09/2026

Kyushu is easy to reach… but how you move around changes your entire trip 🇯🇵👇

At first, it looks simple: cities like Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima are all well connected by JR trains.🚂

Fast, efficient, and with regional passes, actually very convenient.
But here’s the part most people don’t realize…

Kyushu’s best spots aren’t usually in the cities.
Places like Takachiho Gorge, the volcanic landscapes around Mount Aso, or the coastline of rural Oita Prefecture are far from train stations, and sometimes impossible to reach without a car.
That’s where your trip changes completely!

🚗 Renting a car = freedom to explore the real Kyushu
• hidden viewpoints
• remote onsen
• coastal drives you’d never reach otherwise

⚠️ Just remember:
You’ll need an International Driving Permit (basically a translated version of your license) and you must get it before arriving in Japan.

The smartest way to do Kyushu?
👉 Trains for the cities
👉 Car for everything else.

Because Kyushu isn’t about getting from A to B, it’s about everything you’d miss in between 👀✨

16/09/2026

Planning Japan shouldn’t feel like a second job. 🇯🇵

After 6 trips to Japan, one thing I’ve learned is that the hardest part isn’t finding information.

It’s figuring out which information actually matters.

You can spend hours jumping between blogs, Reddit threads, Google Maps, TikTok, booking sites and completely contradictory itineraries, and somehow end up even more confused.

That’s exactly why I built the system I wish I had before my first trip.

It’s not just a list of places to visit.

It’s everything I actually use when planning Japan: how to structure your itinerary, how to move around, where to stay, what needs to be booked in advance, which areas are worth your time, and the little things that can make the trip significantly easier.

I’ve organized it around the way I actually travel, with city and regional guides, ready-made itineraries, interactive maps, transportation information, food and accommodation recommendations, and plenty of places beyond the usual Golden Route.

And because Japan keeps changing, and because I keep going back, I’m constantly adding and updating things.

The goal isn’t to give you more information.
It’s to give you the right information, in one place, so you can stop researching and actually start looking forward to your trip.

👉If you’re planning Japan, comment “JAPAN” and I’ll send you the guide.

And if you’ve already been: what was the most confusing part of planning your trip? 👀

16/09/2026

Japan’s seasons aren’t just about weather, they shape how and where the country celebrates. 🇯🇵

❄️ Winter – Sapporo�The Sapporo Snow Festival transforms the city with massive ice and snow sculptures, turning winter into one of Japan’s most magical travel moments.
🌸 Spring - General �Cherry blossom festivals take over parks, rivers, and temple grounds nationwide, marking the most iconic travel season in Japan.

🎆 Summer – Kyoto�Kyoto’s summer is defined by traditional festivals like Gion Matsuri, one of the most important in the country, filling the city with processions, lanterns, and centuries-old rituals.

🍁 Autumn – Takayama�The Takayama Autumn Festival combines elaborate floats, historic streets, and peak foliage, offering one of the most atmospheric events of the year.

Choosing when to visit Japan always matters just as much as choosing where.

16/09/2026

In the end it’s all about the people that you explored Japan with 🇯🇵
Don’t you agree?

#日本

15/09/2026

Kyushu might be the most rewarding 10–14 day itinerary in Japan 🇯🇵

If you want a route that mixes cities, nature, onsen, and hidden gems… this is it 👇

🗺️ Kyushu 10–14 Day Itinerary
📍 Days 1–3: Fukuoka
Start easy. Great food, yatai stalls, and day trips: → Itoshima (coast + cafés) → Dazaifu (temple & culture)

📍 Days 3–4: Nagasaki
One of Japan’s most unique cities: history, harbor views, and a different cultural feel.

📍 Day 5: Arita / Takeo area
Slow down and explore porcelain towns, small streets, and traditional craftsmanship.

📍 Days 6–7: Mount Aso / Kumamoto
Volcanic landscapes, nature, and one of Japan’s most impressive calderas.

📍 Days 7–9: Takachiho Gorge & Miyazaki Prefecture
Spiritual, scenic, and completely different: → Amanoiwato Shrine → coastal drives and hidden viewpoints

📍 Days 9–11: Kagoshima
Laid-back city facing the active volcano Sakurajima, one of the most unique landscapes in Japan.

📍 Days 11–14: Flexible / Onsen / Hidden spots
• Kurokawa Onsen (traditional onsen town)
• Oguni (nature & quiet stays)
• Extra time in your favorite stop

🚆 How to get around
Trains + occasional car rental (especially for Aso & Takachiho)
🎫 The JR Kyushu Pass can be very worth it

Kyushu is Japan without the crowds.More raw, more authentic, and full of places that still feel undiscovered.

👉 Comment “JAPAN” to get the link to the full Japan Travel Guide System 👀

15/09/2026

If you’re flying to Japan this winter, don’t automatically book a return flight to Tokyo. 🇯🇵✈️

There’s currently an ANA promotion that can make it much easier to add another Japanese destination to the same trip.

With ANA’s TOKYO+ offer, eligible travellers flying from Europe can book their international and domestic ANA flights together, add a 24+ hour Tokyo stopover, and continue to another destination in Japan without additional domestic airfare. Japanese airport taxes and other conditions still apply.

✈️ Tokyo + Sapporo
✈️ Tokyo + Okinawa
✈️ Tokyo + another region you probably wouldn’t otherwise fit in

ANA has a network of 40+ domestic destinations, so this can be a really interesting way to build a Japan itinerary around the regions you actually want to experience.

The current winter offer is available for travel from December 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027, with trips completed by March 15, 2027. The special sale period runs only through September 30, 2026, and availability varies.

So before you book your Japan flights, check whether this works for your itinerary.

Because Japan is MUCH bigger than Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.

And if your flight can take you further into the country without adding another expensive domestic ticket…

Why wouldn’t you? 🇯🇵

Save this if you’re planning Japan this winter.

15/09/2026

Japan has SO many places worth visiting… but if you have limited time, I don’t think every popular destination deserves an equal amount of it. 🇯🇵

And before anyone gets angry: “overrated” doesn’t mean bad.

It just means that, based on my own trips around Japan, I’d personally prioritize somewhere else if I had limited time.

🔴 American Village: fun, but I’d rather spend more time exploring the rest of Okinawa.

🟢 Kusatsu: one of my favourite onsen towns and still surprisingly easy to overlook.

🔴 Shinjuku: incredible for nightlife and the sheer Tokyo experience, but not my first choice for staying.

🟢 Kashima: an incredibly underrated stop for history, forests and some beautiful shrines.

🟢 Itoshima: beaches, cafés, sunsets and a completely different atmosphere from Fukuoka City.

🔴 Fukuoka: great city and amazing food, but I’d use it as a base to explore more of Kyushu.

🟢 Kumamoto: a fantastic gateway to Aso, volcanoes, mountains and onsen.

🔴 Osaka: I like it, but if your itinerary is tight, I’d probably give those extra nights to somewhere else.

🟢 Ureshino: a quiet Kyushu onsen town that deserves much more attention.

And honestly, this is why I love travelling around Japan.

Which one do you completely disagree with? 👀

And which underrated place in Japan would YOU add to this list?

15/09/2026

The Izu Peninsula is one of the easiest ways to experience Japan’s coastline, hot springs, and nature. Without going too far from Tokyo. 👀

🚆 How to get there
Izu is easily reachable from Tokyo Station or Shinjuku by limited express trains like the Odoriko, or by local JR lines if you prefer a slower, cheaper option. Travel time ranges from 2 to 3 hours, depending on where you’re headed.

🚗 How to move around
While trains connect major towns like Ito, Atami, and Shimoda, renting a car unlocks the real Izu: coastal roads, cliffs, waterfalls, and hidden beaches that public transport doesn’t reach easily.

📍 Where to go
Shimoda for beaches and dramatic coastline
• Ito for onsen culture, seaside walks and CAPYBARAS 🥹
• Central Izu for mountains, waterfalls, and quieter landscapes

🌿 Why visit Izu
Volcanic scenery, hot springs, ocean views, and a slower rhythm compared to Japan’s main tourist routes. It’s perfect for travelers who want nature, space, and variety in one region.

If you want a destination that feels different without being complicated, Izu is one of Japan’s best-kept secrets.

住所

Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka