Finding balance on a nature pilgrimage with Japan's Yamabushi mountain priests

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A cruise operator that failed to cancel a voyage from Sydney that led to a major COVID-19 outbreak was ruled negligent in its duty of care to passengers in an Australian class-action case Wednesday.

YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou has been dragged online after he said he traveled across Japan "for free" — by begging for cash and hitching free rides on trains.

For more than 25 years, Alberto Avila has been making careteros, or paper maché masks, perpetuating a tradition of Indigenous communities in Ecuador. Typically worn by tribal leaders, the masks are used widely in local festivities. As Avila explains, each mask is intended to reflect “what’s inside” its creator—his first took the form of a devil, a character he identified with at the time, but he’s tranquil, nowadays, and has made more playful versions lately.

This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.

All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest 5-Star airline for ten consecutive years, is celebrating in October its 25-year legacy of facilitating connections between travelers and the vibrant destinations of Japan and Honolulu. Since its inaugural flight in 1998, ANA has proudly served millions of passengers on thousands of flights along this route. “ANA deeply values the privilege of furthering an enduring connection between Japan and Hawaii. Air travel serves as a catalyst in uniting individuals and fostering cultural exchange. ANA remains resolutely committed to continuing to build a robust partnership with Hawaii, ensuring mutual growth and prosperity for the next 25 years and beyond,” stated Toshio Nomura, ANA The Americas, Executive Vice President.

The shoji screen door slides closed behind me. The room is sun-dappled — paper door and latticework walls letting light in while keeping prying eyes out. My shoes have been spirited away and the tatami floor is cool underfoot, its summer-hay scent hanging in the air. The rush grass used for the flooring, I’m told, comes from neighbouring Kumamoto Prefecture. The latticework carpentry forming the walls and arched ceilings are Okawa Kumiko style, originating in Fukuoka, which is where I currently find myself. Although not for much longer. At the blow of a whistle, this room will soon be on the move. The delicate confection of paper, wood and grass is, in fact, inside a train.

I travel to Japan at least once a year and am always surprised by just how incredible convenience stores — or konbini, as they're ubiquitously called in Japanese — are in the country.

Exploring galleries and museums enriches travel plans, captivating and leaving a lasting impression on those who engage with their immersive displays. This holds particularly true when journeying through Japan, where the architectural marvels themselves reflect the deep creativity of the nation's artistic souls. A tour centered around art in Japan can guide you through stunning natural landscapes, rich traditions, and the exhilarating realm of avant-garde artistic expressions.

International tourists have been flocking back to Japan with visitor numbers nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels, according to government statistics.

Largely disconnected from the high-speed whizz of Japan’s big urban centres, the region of Tohoku in the far north of Honshu island has long been associated with folk art, crafts and talismans ­— made by hand and perfected over centuries by generations of artisans. Here in deep Japan, where rice paddies surround isolated houses and torii gates mark forest boundaries, these caretakers of tradition are making some of Japan’s most cherished treasures

It’s become increasingly common for professional tennis players to align with resorts for special clinics in a specific promotion but most often the players are ones that have retired from the circuit. One&Only Palmilla in Mexico’s Los Cabos is offering something completely different in December: the option of a group clinic or private lesson with Carlos Alcaraz, 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon champion and a meteor in the tennis world.

Premier custom tour operator Avanti Destinations has exciting news for independent travelers looking to journey to Japan. The company has recently added two captivating Japanese destinations, Shizuoka and Tohoku, to its already impressive portfolio.