JAL​ ​'s recommended tourist guide

Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is a castle town that retains the atmosphere of the Edo period and is known for traditional crafts such as Kutani ware and Kaga Yuzen. The culture of tea ceremony has been widespread among the common people since ancient times, and the city is famous nationwide for its high consumption of Japanese sweets. Naturally, there are many Japanese sweet shops, and with a wide variety of products ranging from classic Japanese sweets to more advanced sweets, you may have trouble deciding which one to buy. In this article, we have carefully selected souvenirs that can only be purchased in Kanazawa, including popular products from popular Japanese sweet shops, pickles, sake, and miscellaneous goods made with traditional crafts. All of these items will make you excited just by holding them in your hands, so be sure to check them out before you travel.

The Okitama region in southern Yamagata Prefecture is a region that receives heavy snowfall and is deep in the mountains, where a unique culture has blossomed thanks to the wisdom and ingenuity of the people in their daily lives. This is also the place where Isabella Bird, a British female traveler who was active in the early Meiji period, traveled and, upon seeing the tranquil landscape and rural life, gave the highest praise to the area, calling it "Arcadia of the East." We will explore the charm of Okitama, where the ideal form of Japan still lives on today.

Jiufen is a small town surrounded by the sea and mountains, located about 30km from Taipei. At dusk, the lanterns are lit up, creating a scene that makes you feel as if you have wandered into a movie world. We recommend arriving early in the morning, enjoying local cuisine at Jiufen Old Street, and relaxing at a tea house in the afternoon while taking in the spectacular view. In the evening, you can enjoy eating around the night market in the port city of Keelung before returning to Taipei. There are several guesthouses in Jiufen, so we also recommend staying overnight.