Hi Reader, Today, I'm sharing my secrets... There are 3 things I’ve never been able to get over. 1. Spicy food2. Roller coasters and… 3. Speaking to camera If someone invented a medicine for this, I’d pay $$$💸 My dream is to make Hokkaido videos where I actually show you around. I've tried recording myself so many times. But I get awkward, and I give up... (also not easy to speak in English to camera 😬) But I’m working on it slowly. So here’s my (very big) baby step🎊 A new YouTube video with...
8 days ago • 1 min read
Today’s email is sponsored by Hokkaido Air System (HAC) and Trippino. Hi Reader, I just realized it’s been 7 years since I started talking about Eastern Hokkaido online. It’s crazy how time flies! 😳 Over the years, I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked: “How do I get to Eastern Hokkaido?” “Can I travel there without a car?” "Which towns can I actually reach by train?" So last month, I went on a trip to test it out myself ⬇️ Eastern Hokkaido Without a Car: 5-Day Train Itinerary t’s got...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, In Japan, we call autumn "the season for reading" (読書の秋). Because the temperature cools down, and it's finally comfortable to sit with a book. So lately, I've been binge reading mystery novels every night, sacrifing my sleep time...🫠 I just can't stop! Is there something like that for you? If you're looking for something to binge this weekend, here are 3 of my Hokkaido videos that will actually help your trip planning! 1️⃣ Watch this if you want road trip tips 2️⃣ Watch this if you...
20 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Now that summer is over, my inbox is slowly getting filled with questions about winter Hokkaido trip…☕️ So today, I’m sharing the 5 winter activities I recommend most, along with the local guides I’d send my own friends to! If you book with any of them, just tell them you found them through Yuuka, so they’ll know where you came from. ✅ I don’t take any commission from these guides. Everything you pay goes straight to them. I just love supporting local guides and small companies...
28 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Happy September! And finallyyy, Japan’s official autumn foliage forecast is out! 🍁 Here is what the timeline looks like across Hokkaido. No worries, I explained the key dates in English on this blog post 😉And if you want to know exactly where to go for the best views, I’ve put together a curated list of 40 prime foliage spots across Hokkaido. Each spot comes with a Google Maps pin & an estimated peak date, so you won’t miss the colors! 🍁 Grab my Hokkaido foliage spot list Happy...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Earlier this month, I met a local guide in Hokkaido. And she told me she’s on a mission to visit all the 179 cities and towns in Hokkaido 😳 I looove travel challenges like this. (I hit my goal of 30 countries by 30, and I’m currently working on 40 by 40 😆) So I immediately decided I’m going to do the exact same thing if we move back to Hokkaido! But of course, as a traveler, you won’t have time to visit all 179 in Hokkaido. So today, I’ve picked 5 destinations in Eastern Hokkaido...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I’m finally back in Switzerland, after a full month of summer vacation in Hokkaido and Seoul! My 2-year-old son gained so much language practice spending time with both sides of the family🥹 His Korean is already way better than mine!🤣 Oh well, now that summer is winding down... Let's look ahead to autumn and winter, shall we? 🍁 Planning for Autumn Foliage? The official foliage forecast usually comes out in early September. I'll share the updates with you as soon as they’re...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello from Tokyo 👋 I just left Hokkaido after 3 weeks at home…😭 And I’m now 2 hours into a layover at Haneda Airport before my flight to Seoul, my husband’s hometown. This time in Hokkaido, I visited to a lot of places and met a lot of local people who’d love to welcome international travelers like you! I’ll be sharing all of it over the coming weeks, but first, here are 2 very different trips I did last week. 🚗 Car camping road trip I rented a car with a rooftop tent and went on a solo road...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello from Hokkaido! It has already been 10 days since I got here, I'm having the the best summer. This summer is cooler than usual too, 20-25°C (68-77°F). It's sooo nice! Here's what I've been up to so far. Enjoyed a relaxing onsen stay at this hotel in Abashiri (with a private in-room onsen) Found a delicious melon from a local supermarket just for 1,280 JPY (vs. a famous Furano melon: 4,000 JPY) Took my son to these amazing playgrounds Sushi x2, yakiniku, omakase dinner, etc... So sweet...
2 months ago • 1 min read