How to wear a yukata: a step-by-step guide (men & women)
A clear, step-by-step guide to putting on a yukata yourself — the correct left-over-right wrap, tying the obi, fixing a loose collar, and the one mistake to avoid.
Guides
Hand-written starters from our editors — the fastest way in.
Onsen with tattoos: can you go? The honest 2026 guide
Yes, you can enjoy a Japanese onsen with tattoos — here's how: tattoo-friendly baths, cover-up patches, and private (kashikiri) baths, plus the etiquette that actually matters.
What is wabi-sabi? Meaning, examples, and how to experience it
A clear explainer of wabi-sabi — the Japanese aesthetic of imperfection, impermanence and quiet simplicity — with real examples and where to feel it for yourself.
The best cultural experiences in Kyoto for first-timers
An honest, first-timer's shortlist of bookable Kyoto cultural experiences — tea ceremony, kimono, zazen, calligraphy and more — with how to choose and what each is really like.
Tea ceremony etiquette: what to do (and not do) your first time
A clear, first-timer's walkthrough of Japanese tea ceremony etiquette: how to enter, receive the bowl, drink, and handle the sweet — no Japanese required.