Plan a trip
Language: English
Trip plannerPlan your trip on a map

Top destinations

Japanese lantern over city bike at nighttimeJapana view of a city with a body of water in the backgroundMartiniquebrown rock formation on body of water during daytimeThailand
EnglishDeutschFrançaisEspañolPortuguêsPortuguês (BR)Italiano

Daniel Okafor

Field writer, Japan: food, ryokan and onsen, based in Fukuoka

Covers Japan

Last field trip Sep 202610 guides published
  • Food
  • Luxury
  • Onsen

Languages: English, Japanese

About

Daniel came to Fukuoka for a year of language school in 2017 and never left. He eats at the counter, stays in the ryokan, and says when a famous place is not worth the queue. His food and onsen guides are written from the plate and the bath, with prices, and a light sense of humour about tattoos and etiquette.

Field trips

Months, not dates, for privacy.

  • Sep 2026TokyoAsakusa dawn walks, 7 to 13 September, 6 nights
  • Sep 2026Beppu and YufuinOnsen towns, 5 ryokan compared, 6 nights
  • Jul 2026Kyoto and OsakaGion Matsuri processions, 15 to 24 July
  • Jun 2026OsakaDotonbori and Tenma food crawl, 4 nights

Guides by Daniel Okafor

people near billboardsThings to doWhere to eat when Dōtonbori has a queue: four streets to try insteadUpdated Oct 12, 2026Giant red lantern hangs over a japanese temple walkwayPhoto essayAsakusa before the shops open: 5am to 8am in forty framesDaniel Okafor · Updated Oct 3, 2026white boat on sea during daytimeHead to headIshigaki or Iriomote: where to base, ferries and nightsUpdated Oct 3, 2026A pair of shoes sitting on top of a stone benchCultureOnsen etiquette and the tattoo rule: what signs say in 2026Daniel Okafor · Updated Oct 3, 2026A large boat that is sitting in the streetField reportGion Matsuri float days: where we stood and what we missedDaniel Okafor · Updated Oct 3, 2026a bunch of colorful paper hanging from a lineCultureWhy Sensō-ji hands out so many bad fortunesDaniel Okafor · Updated Oct 3, 2026a group of people standing around a pool of waterThings to doBeppu Hells (Jigoku Meguri): tickets, onsen and etiquetteUpdated Oct 3, 2026A narrow alleyway in Tokyo at night with glowing red lanterns and illuminated signsThings to doAsakusa at dawn: an early walking route before the crowds arriveUpdated Oct 2, 2026brown and white temple surrounded by green trees during daytimeTrip ideaFour days on the Kumano Kodo, inn to inn, with one bag sent aheadUpdated Oct 2, 2026a large body of water with a mountain in the backgroundWhere to stayWhere to stay in Hakone: five bases, from onsen ryokan to OdawaraUpdated Oct 1, 2026
DestinationsWhere to go, when to go and how to get around in 221 countries. Every practical fact shows the date we checked it and who checked it.Where to stayNeighborhoods walked end to end: who each area suits, how far it is from the airport train, and the hotels we would book ourselves.PlanVisas and entry rules, travel insurance, eSIMs and rail passes, explained in plain words and rechecked when the rules change.EventsFestivals, concerts and tours with confirmed dates, rooms near the venue and the fastest way on to the next city.StoriesField reports and data stories from the road. We time the queues, count the costs and say what changed since last year.

Asia

KansaiTokyoBangkokOsakaSiem ReapMt FujiOkinawaKōbeManilaKyotoAll Asia

Caribbean

Fort-de-FranceNassauPort of SpainNegrilSan JuanOcho RiosHavanaEleutheraEl Yunque National ForestSosúaAll Caribbean

Africa

MarrakechRabatToubkal National ParkMaasai MaraCape WinelandsDiani BeachMombasaNairobiAswanSharm El SheikhAll Africa

Events

Sapporo Snow FestivalCherry blossomGion MatsuriDía de MuertosOktoberfestKandy Esala PeraheraEvents calendar

More places

AustraliaKiribatiJordanLebanonMexicoUSAAustriaEnglandColombiaPeruCosta RicaNicaraguaAll Australia & PacificAll Middle EastAll North AmericaAll EuropeAll South AmericaAll Central AmericaAll destinations, A to Z