One of the highlights of our first year on the road is the two months we spent in Japan. We learned to cook udon noodles in Osaka, visited temples in Kyoto, slept in a yurt on the art islands and sung karaoke in Tokyo. It's one of our very favourite places and I know we'll be… Read more of "Two months in Japan (video edition)"

I'm not sure if Tokyo is officially the biggest city in the world, but it feels like it. What surprised me is that the neighbourhoods are all so different. We spent a month in Tokyo – walking, exploring, eating – and these are my favourite areas: Shinjuku That image of Tokyo you… Read more of "A Tokyo neighbourhood guide"

The week before our trip to Japan we watched this Buzzfeed video and couldn't wait to try all 200 KitKat flavours (we had 10 weeks and 3 flavours a day seems pretty reasonable, right?). But it's actually not that easy, you can't just walk into a 7/11 and buy them all. Lots of… Read more of "Japanese KitKat flavours"

There are 80,000 restaurants in Tokyo. Just take a moment to let that sink in (if you need something to compare that to, there are 15,000 in New York). Walking around you really feel it, there is food everywhere. So it's hard to even scratch the surface in a month, but here are… Read more of "Where to eat in Tokyo"

Watching sumo was one of our favourite experiences in Japan. The tradition, the fast-paced matches, the rowdy crowd – it was such good fun. It's actually very easy to get tickets compared to some of the other attractions in Tokyo (I'm looking at you, Studio Ghibli). There are six… Read more of "Sumo wrestling in Tokyo"

Apartments in Tokyo are small, we stayed in one that was the same size as our bathroom in London, with a bed on a raised platform over the tiny kitchen. So if you're planning to do any work in this city, it's pretty important to find a good work space. As well as being good… Read more of "The best cafes to work in Tokyo"

After a 6-hour bus ride from Takayama (a small town in the Hida Mountains), we made our way through Shinjuku station during rush hour. There were people everywhere and we had no idea where to go or how to get to our apartment, but we all had the biggest smiles on our faces… Read more of "Tokyo: fish markets, robots and cherry blossom"

With three weeks in Fukuoka, we had plenty of time for day trips and the best one was our trip to Nokonoshima Island. It's close to the city and small enough to walk around in a day, but with a sleepy fishing village and beautiful island views it's a lovely change from city life… Read more of "A day trip to Nokonoshima Island"

Like all Japanese cities, Fukuoka is full of restaurants. From riverside street food stalls frequented by salarymen, to brunch spots full of teenage girls, food is absolutely everywhere. These are our best discoveries: Chikae Ok, I'm going to start with my favourite. If you only… Read more of "Where to eat in Fukuoka: yatai, ramen and seafood"

In another life, Fukuoka could have been our town. A couple of years ago I had a series of interviews for a job here, and although it didn't come to pass, it left us with a curiosity about Fukuoka. After getting recommendations from friends who had been and loved it, we decided… Read more of "Things to do in Fukuoka"

Our stay in Hirayu was another wild card on our Japan itinerary. But just like our time in Wakimachi, it turned out to be perfect. The bus from Takayama to the middle of who-knows-where took us through tiny villages and valleys surrounded by snowy mountains. This area is popular… Read more of "Snow and onsen in the Japanese alps"

When it comes to deciding on the best food of our trip, Japan is way up there. Ingredients are fresh and local, cooking techniques have been perfected over hundreds of years and the attention to detail is on another level. In 10 weeks, we ate so many different dishes, but these… Read more of "What to eat in Japan"