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Haruki Sato

Field writer, Japan: regions beyond the Golden Route, based in Kanazawa

Covers Japan

Last field trip Sep 202617 guides published
  • Road trip
  • Hiking
  • Regional Japan

Languages: English, Japanese

About

Haruki grew up in Toyama, works from Kanazawa and has spent the last six years driving and walking the parts of Japan that are not Tokyo or Kyoto. He writes calmly, notices small things, and uses few adjectives. His regional guides list where he slept, what the car cost and which bus actually ran.

Field trips

Months, not dates, for privacy.

  • Sep 2026YamagataGinzan Onsen overnight, 24 September
  • Sep 2026Kii PeninsulaNakahechi inn to inn, second walk, 8 to 11 September
  • Aug 2026Kyushu loopFukuoka, Beppu, Yakushima, 9 nights, 3 guides
  • Jul 2026Yamagata and MiyagiYamadera and Matsushima, 14 to 15 July
  • May 2026ShikokuMatsuyama, Kochi, Naoshima, 6 nights, 2 guides
  • Apr 2026HokkaidoHakodate to Sapporo by rail, end of April
  • Apr 2026Kii PeninsulaNakahechi inn to inn, first walk, 21 to 24 April
  • Mar 2026TohokuSeven local-train days with Mei Tanaka, from 31 March
  • Dec 2025TohokuKitakami line ride, 20 December
  • Oct 2025TohokuAomori to Sendai by car, 8 nights

Guides by Haruki Sato

view of white train during daytimePhoto essayTohoku through the train window, four seasonsHaruki Sato · Updated Oct 3, 2026a park with trees, rocks and a walkwayWhere to stayWhere to stay in Kanazawa: station, Korinbo, Omicho or Higashi ChayaUpdated Oct 3, 2026A river flows through a scenic mountain valleyHow toKamikochi day trip from Matsumoto: season, buses and walksUpdated Oct 3, 2026cherry blossoms line the trees along a river at nightTrip ideaFollow the cherry blossom north: a trip that moves with the forecastHaruki Sato · Updated Oct 3, 2026brown wooden bridge in the woodsField reportKumano Kodo inn to inn: what the hosts told us about bookingHaruki Sato · Updated Oct 3, 2026A large pumpkin sitting on top of a pier next to the oceanHow toNaoshima day trip guide: tickets, ferries and a one-day routeUpdated Oct 3, 2026a narrow street in an asian city with snow on the groundHow toTakayama and Shirakawa-go as a day trip: buses and bookingUpdated Oct 3, 2026brown monkey on brown wooden log during daytimeHow toSnow monkeys at Jigokudani: how to get there from NaganoUpdated Oct 3, 2026Mount Fuji rising above a dark lake at night in Fujinomiya, JapanHow toClimbing Mount Fuji: trail booking and feesUpdated Oct 2, 2026a park with trees, rocks and a walkwayAlternativesKyoto without the queues: five towns that feel like it didHaruki Sato · Updated Oct 2, 2026a man in a boat on a lake surrounded by treesItineraryShikoku in 7 days: a rail itinerary from Takamatsu to MatsuyamaUpdated Oct 2, 2026view of white train during daytimeStoryA week on Tohoku's local trains, and whether you need a JR PassHaruki Sato · Updated Oct 2, 2026cherry blossoms line the trees along a river at nightWhen to goThe best time to visit Japan, month by monthUpdated Oct 1, 2026Sunlit forest path with wooden railing and lush greeneryHow toTokyo to Nikkō day trip: how to go, which Tobu pass, what to seeUpdated Oct 1, 2026A fallen tree in the middle of a forestHow toYakushima trip planning: getting there, days and Jomon SugiUpdated Oct 1, 2026view of white train during daytimeItineraryTohoku by local train: 10 days from Sendai to AomoriUpdated Oct 1, 2026Mount Fuji rising above a dark lake at night in Fujinomiya, JapanThings to doWhere to see Mt Fuji without climbing: best viewpoints and monthsUpdated Sep 30, 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

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Events

Sapporo Snow FestivalCherry blossomGion MatsuriDía de MuertosOktoberfestKandy Esala PeraheraEvents calendar

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