Japan Side Quests is a travel discovery site for people who have already seen the postcard version of Japan — or who never wanted it in the first place.

We cover unusual, bookable experiences: strange hotels, specific kinds of night out, activities that never appear on a standard itinerary. Every guide is built to answer one question properly: which of these should I actually book?

The site is new. Rather than launching with fifty thin articles, we publish one guide at a time and only list what we have been able to verify. If a detail is not confirmed, it stays out.

How we research

Guides are built from official operator sites, Japanese-language booking platforms, and published plan descriptions. Where we have first-hand experience, we say so. Where we do not, we say that too — and we never write a review in the voice of someone who has been there when nobody has.

How we make money

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you book through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It has no effect on which places we recommend or how we rank them. Full details are on our Affiliate Disclosure page.

Where we are

Japan Side Quests is written from Japan.