A Japan Detour product

Every detour, planned.

Each dossier is a saveable plan for one extraordinary place: the sequenced route, where to stay and how far ahead to book it, what it costs, and how to get there. Researched, verified, and updated.

Where to, and when

Pick a season to see each place at its peak. Every pin carries the months it is best, so you can plan around the mountain, not against it.

OkinawaMt. KoyaSetouchi IslandsShimanami KaidoShirakawa-goTsurugaTokyo StationKoyo Front

Wakayama

Mt. Koya

Best: Oct-Nov

Sleep in a working monastery. The 6 a.m. bell is the product.

Tap a pin to preview the place. Dossiers open where they exist.

The dossiers

Mt. Koya · Wakayama Prefecture

The 6 a.m. Hotel

Best Oct-Nov

One night in a working monastery on Mt. Koya: which temple to book, when to book it, and how to ride the monastic schedule instead of fighting it.

Open the dossier →

Kagawa

Setouchi Islands

Coming soon

Which small island, which ferry, which art.

Hiroshima, Ehime

Shimanami Kaido

Coming soon

Two-day cycling plan with rental and overnight stops.

Gifu

Shirakawa-go

Coming soon

Winter light-up lottery strategy and where to stay.

Fukui

Tsuruga

Coming soon

The half-day stopover that earns its keep.

Tokyo

Tokyo Ekiben

Coming soon

The station bento buying guide, box by box.

Kyoto, Nagano

Koyo Front

Coming soon

Chasing peak color week by week.

Detour Membership

One new dossier with every Japan Detour issue, plus the full library, the map collection, and booking-window alerts when the competitive months start filling. $79 a year. Or buy a single dossier for $29 when a trip is real.

Editorial independence is absolute. No brand can buy a recommendation.