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...
2 days 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...
3 days 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...
4 days 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...
14 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Last week, I told you I'll be traveling to Hokkaido this summer. And I have 4 free days in Sapporo with no plan. But I don’t want to do the typical touristy things there... So I've been thinking about 3 different trips I could do instead. I'll share my ideas, so can you let me know which trip you would be more interested in? Then I’ll write the full itinerary, so you can follow it! 😆 Which one would you want to do? Wakkanai road trip: To the northernmost tip of Japan Ainu culture...
19 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Last week, we were hit by a heatwave in Switzerland without AC... So I booked our Hokkaido trip this summer to escape the heat!! 3 weeks from late July with my family. I’m sooo excited. I’m already deep in planning mode because peak season books up fast. In case you’re doing the same, here are my favorite hotels in Eastern Hokkaido, so you don’t have to spend hours wondering “is this place actually good?”🤔 🧸 If you’re traveling with kids: Shiretoko Daiichi Hotel is the best...
27 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, If you're planning a trip to Hokkaido soon, maybe you have this question. And I get the same question every year as summer gets closer... "Is Hokkaido safe from brown bears?" And my answer is always the same. YES. You can travel in Hokkaido safely, if you know where and when to be careful. And I just published a guide about it. Yes, brown bears live across Hokkaido. Yes, incidents happen. But most of 5 million people living in Hokkaido go about their daily lives without ever...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Today’s email is sponsored by NOTSUKE BASE. Hi Reader, This might be quite random, but can I talk about my dad for a sec? He has this weird hobby where he picks a road in Eastern Hokkaido and just drives every weekend. No tourist spots, no itinerary. He’d just drive 150 km straight, have lunch at a random local restaurant, and come back home. He’s been doing this for years, and he has his favorite spots. One of them is Notsuke Peninsula. He says he spots a pack of deer every single time he...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Yesterday I had lunch with a friend from my old job. We were catching up, and I just realized it’s been almost a year since I left the job. I still can’t believe I used to work 9 to 5 in the office 🤯 Well I’ll be honest, I don’t earn as much as I used to. But I love spending my days helping people visit Hokkaido. I charge my clients to plan a custom itinerary, but today… I’m giving you something free 😉 Here’s my 3-day summer Shiretoko itinerary! It just got a major update with more...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read