Jess McCullough

Writer

Jess is a freelance photographer and writer for japan-guide.com. She grew up near Austin, Texas, and came to Japan to live in 2008, where she fell in love with the mountains near her home and just never left. Jess likes going camping with her family, exploring the small towns and nature that Japan has to offer, and taking way too many pictures of flowers.

Most recent posts

Enjoying the Cool Sea Breezes in Ibaraki

Japan has much to offer travelers with kids, and that includes access to beautiful beaches and ocean views throughout much of the country, so when you want to feel those cool sea breezes, you may feel spoiled for...
By Jess McCullough·

Legoland Resort Nagoya

Theme parks abound in Japan, but their popularity often mean long lines and tiresome days. Especially when traveling with children, choosing less crowded parks and going during off-peak times can mean the difference...
By Jess McCullough·

Culture and History in Nagasaki City

Far down south from Tokyo in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands, lies the famous and vibrant city of Nagasaki, a port city with a rich history of trade and multiculturalism. It is also the site of...
By Jess McCullough·

Enjoying the snow at Manza Onsen

The winter season is right around the corner, and with it comes a biting cold that can feel never-ending. But despite the cold, winter has a lot to offer, including one of my favorite parts of the season: warming up...
By Jess McCullough·

Fall Camping in the Minami Alps

Each season of the year presents new and exciting challenges for camping, and fall is certainly no exception. The leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder, and it takes more effort and gear than camping in...
By Jess McCullough·

Camping Under Mt. Fuji

Japan is a country blessed with a wide variety of magnificent nature, from majestic mountains to white sand beaches and everything in between, and there is no better way to experience all its natural beauty than to...
By Jess McCullough·

Winter Activities in Karuizawa

Following Lori’s inaugural report of the Traveling with Kids Series to Shinjuku, our next installment features the resort town of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture. I brought my family of four there on a day trip to...
By Jess McCullough·

Koyo 2019: Tokyo Report

Last week, Schauwecker reported from some of the main autumn color spots in Tokyo that the colors were only just beginning to change in some of the city’s most popular spots. Today I headed to some areas on the outskirts...
By Jess McCullough·

Koyo 2019: Mount Fuji Report

Autumn colors across the country are continuing to develop as November marches on, with spots in the higher elevations such as Naruko hitting peak, while other areas such as Kyoto are just starting to change. I...
By Jess McCullough·

Koyo 2019: Karuizawa Report

Continuing this year’s autumn color reports from around Japan, today I visited the upmarket resort of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture to check on the many popular autumn color spots located there. Karuizawa is an easy...
By Jess McCullough·

Koyo 2019: Nikko Report

It’s been another two weeks since Charles’ report on the progress of the fall colors of Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture, and I’m back at some of the popular spots to see how the colors have developed since he last...
By Jess McCullough·

Sakura 2017: Akagi Report

While the best viewing period for cherry blossoms in Tokyo has passed, hope is certainly not lost for those still wanting to see some blossoms around the Kanto Region. Besides catching some of the late-blooming...
By Jess McCullough·

Ajisai Viewing in Kamakura

Today I headed out to Kamakura to visit a few temples famous for their hydrangea flowers. Hydrangea are called ajisai in Japanese, and typically bloom from around mid-June to mid-July, which coincides with the rainy season during the month of June.
By Jess McCullough·

Nemophila at Hitachi Seaside Park

Taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather, today I visited Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture, located northeast of Tokyo in the Kanto Plain. My purpose today was to see the tulips and the famous blue nemophila flowers which are blooming in the park now.
By Jess McCullough·

Alpen Route Snow Wall 2016

Yesterday I traveled the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route to view this year’s snow walls at Murodo. Murodo is the highest point on the route that connects Nagano Prefecture’s Omachi Town with Toyama Prefecture’s Toyama City through the spectacular Northern Japan Alps of the Chubu Sangaku National Park.
By Jess McCullough·

Sakura 2016: Odawara Report

While yesterday’s weather took a bit of a toll on the cherry blossoms in many regions across western and central Japan, it wasn’t as destructive as feared. Petals are definitely starting to fall in cities such as...
By Jess McCullough·

Sakura 2016: Kamakura Report

The cherry blossom front has been sweeping through the country, as city after city throughout southern and central Japan have reached their peak. This past weekend and into this week the cherry blossoms are at their...
By Jess McCullough·

Plum Blossom Report from Kairakuen

About two hours north of Tokyo lies the city of Mito, home of Kairakuen, one of the top three landscape gardens in Japan along with Kenrokuen in Kanazawa and Korakuen in Okayama. Although a great...
By Jess McCullough·

2016 Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival Report

Today I traveled to the ocean-side town of Kawazu on Shizuoka’s Izu Peninsula to see the Kawazu cherry trees, an early-blooming and long-lasting variety of cherry. This type of tree gives people the chance to see...
By Jess McCullough·