Hi Reader, Our Uber is picking us up in 40 mins to go to the airport. And I'm typing this on my laptop while my husband's rigiously cleaning the house 😝 oops We are off to Hokkaido for 3 weeks! Before I go, I wanted to share 2 quick things with you. 1. Follow along on my Instagram! I’ll be posting daily on my Stories to show you how a local spends summer in rural Hokkaido. You'll see my road trips to small towns, relaxing onsen stays, delicious local food, and lots of family-friendly spots....
11 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I’m flying to Hokkaido next weekend and I’m sooo excited! Today, I want to share the one thing I always bring to my road trips in Hokkaido. It’s this. ✨ Roadside Station Stamp Booklet ✨ Have you ever heard of Roadside Stations (Michi no Eki) in Japan? They’re rest stops found all over the country, and Hokkaido alone has more than 120. I love stopping by wherever I go. Each one showcases the town’s unique specialty products and fresh produce from local farmers. Great spots to break...
21 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Today, I want to share something special with you. I made a short video (just 2 mins!) because I wanted you to actually see it🧡 Watch here! ⬇️ If you’d rather read, keep going…⬇️ My family’s Airbnb in Hokkaido is now open! 🎉 We’ve been preparing for months, and I’m so happy to finally share it with you. It’s the house I grew up in. A private home with a backyard, in a quiet neighborhood. It’s in my hometown Kitami, a perfect location to travel around Eastern Hokkaido while having a...
27 days ago • 1 min read
But I'd hate for you to realize later that you missed it😉 So, just quick one: the discount on the Eastern Hokkaido Insider Guide ends tonight. In case you've been meaning to grab it but life got in the way, here's your last chance! Price goes back to $39 tonight. Save $15 — Get the guide for $24 Hope you have an amazing trip with this. See you inside! Best,Yuuka
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Imagine this… Tonight after work, you sit down with you tea (or wine), and open my guide. By the time you go to bed, your 10-day Hokkaido trip is planned. Not a rough idea, but an actual plan with real places and a real route. That's exactly what this traveler did: And this is exactly why I made the Eastern Hokkaido Insider Guide. Because I don’t want you spending a whole weekend Googling, ending up with a hundred tabs open and still no real answer. Because I don’t want you missing...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Can I tell you something? It still gets me every time someone tells me my guide actually changed their Hokkaido trip. And over 260 travelers have used my guides over the past few years. That number blows my mind 🤯 I’m so lucky to be able to show people the part of Hokkaido I grew up in. I keep every message people send me, so let me share a few from recent travelers. Right now you can get the $15 discount on my guide until Tuesday, June 30. After that, it goes back to the regular...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I get this question a lot. “Hey Yuuka, what’s actually inside your guidebook?” This is a fair question, so here’s an honest answer. None of it is “best of Hokkaido” content. It’s where I’d take a friend if they visited me in my hometown. For example... A soba restaurant run by my high school friend’s family, trying to survive in a town with fewer than 4,000 people. A roadside station in a small coastal town you’d probably drive past, but I want you to try the local snack there that...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Not sure about you, but I’m suffering through another heatwave in Switzerland… It’s been over 35°C (95°F) every day, without AC. In my city, no one has AC at home because you need an official permit to install one, and it’s very hard to get 😇 So I’m dying to fly back to Hokkaido in a month… if I can survive until then. And pne thing that gets me really excited about summer in Japan is FESTIVALS. Every summer (and also autumn), Japan is full of local festivals. We have many in...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Today’s email is sponsored by Trippino Hokkaido. Hi Reader, Last week I asked what you wanted to explore this summer. A lot of you said… “hidden gems near Sapporo” So today I’m sharing a gem that I found last summer. It’s Niseko. ….. aaand before you roll your eyes, I know I know. It’s the most famous ski resort in Japan. Growing up in Hokkaido, I avoided going there because I thought it’d be too crowded, too expensive, and too touristy. Not my kind of place. But last summer, I finally went...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read