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Matt Evans

Staff Writer, Editor

Originally from the UK, Matt first came to Japan in 2009 and ended up staying for a little over six years in the Kansai area. After a three-year stint working in the travel industry, he is now back and works as a staff writer for japan-guide.com. As well as history and traditional arts and crafts, he is especially passionate about the outdoors and looks forward to exploring Japan's wilder places.

Most recent posts

Nikko Toshogu Shrine

Nikko Toshogu Shrine was built to honor one of Japan’s most important figures, Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is famous for its many colorful carvings.
By Matt Evans|

Kamakura Rediscovered - Hase

Continuing my exploration of Kamakura one neighborhood at a time, I recently found myself back in town, this time to take a look at the popular Hase district, two stops from Kamakura Station on the Enoden...
By Matt Evans|

Kamakura Rediscovered - Kita-Kamakura

Located just one stop north of Kamakura Station, Kita-Kamakura is a quiet, leafy area best known for its many historic temples, wooded surroundings and traditional houses, creating an atmosphere not unlike parts of...
By Matt Evans|

Kamakura Rediscovered - Onari

Following on from my previous piece exploring the area around the Komachi Dori shopping street, I soon find myself back in the historic city of Kamakura, this time taking in the west side of town in a single, wide...
By Matt Evans|

Koyo 2020: Tokyo Report

With this year’s koyo season already well underway, I took trip to Tokyo today to see how the colors are progressing in two of the city’s most popular viewing spots.While temperatures in other parts of the...
By Matt Evans|

Travel restarting: Kyoto

For the last leg of my recent trip to check on the state of travel in the Kansai area I was lucky enough to spend a day in Kyoto
By Matt Evans|

Travel restarting: Nara

During my recent trip to check in on the general state of tourist attractions in the Kansai region, I was very excited to spend a day in Nara
By Matt Evans|

Travel restarting: Hiroshima

As part of our reporting on Japan’s efforts to restart local tourism after the extraordinary disruption caused by the coronavirus epidemic,
By Matt Evans|

Travel restarting: Osaka

With travel plans for many around the world still on hold due to the continuing coronavirus epidemic, I was hugely fortunate last week to be able to spend a few days in the Kansai area to check in on the state of...
By Matt Evans|

A Stroll Through Gyoda

Located just over an hour by Shinkansen and local train from central Tokyo, the small, sleepy city of Gyoda in Saitama Prefecture is relatively unknown outside of the region but boasts some great sightseeing spots...
By Matt Evans|

Travel restarting: Kanazawa

As efforts to boost Japan’s struggling domestic tourism industry continue against a backdrop of increasing coronavirus numbers in several of the major cities, I took a trip to the small and very attractive city of...
By Matt Evans|

Travel restarting: Nikko

Despite a rise in the number of coronavirus infections since the end of the state of emergency in late May, domestic travellers throughout Japan have begun to return to sightseeing spots, albeit in comparatively...
By Matt Evans|

Birds, bugs and giant flying squirrels

As Japan begins to cautiously reemerge from domestic travel restrictions due to the ongoing threat of coronavirus, I was delighted to head to the beautiful mountain resort town of Karuizawa for my first reporting in...
By Matt Evans|

A Stroll Through Kanazawa

Often called the Little Kyoto for its cultural depth and beautifully preserved historic buildings, Kanazawa’s traditional charms and relatively small size make it the ideal city break for walkers...
By Matt Evans|

Sakura 2020: Kyoto Report

The start of Kyoto’s eagerly awaited cherry blossom season was announced on Sunday, March 22, a full week earlier than last year’s but still a few days behind Tokyo where the blossom is already aproaching full bloom....
By Matt Evans|

Work in Progress on the Olympic Waterfront City

Faced with the need to create new, large-scale venues and public spaces in one of the world’s largest and densest cities, the organizers of this year’s Olympic events found an ideal solution in land reclaimed from...
By Matt Evans|

The Kuma Kengo Look

Making regular appearances in magazines and Instagram feeds around the world, Tokyo’s daring and innovative modern architecture is a key component in its reputation as one of the world’s most futuristic cities....
By Matt Evans|