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Shrine maiden walking beneath red torii gates at Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, a symbol of spiritual and unconventional Japan travel.

Shrine maiden walking beneath red torii gates at Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, a symbol of spiritual and unconventional Japan travel.

Welcome to Zen Gaijin: Your Guide to Unconventional Japan Travel

Done the Golden Route? Zen Gaijin is for curious, repeat visitors ready to explore Japan’s hidden soul—through cultural experiences, off-the-beaten-path gems, and unconventional Japan travel.

Japanese ATM screen showing banking options in Japanese with a prominent green 'English Guide' button, illustrating Japan's technological adaptations for international visitors

Japanese ATM screen showing banking options in Japanese with a prominent green 'English Guide' button, illustrating Japan's technological adaptations for international visitors

Japan Tourism After COVID: What's Changed in 2025

Japan's post-pandemic tourism boom has created new restrictions, cultural tensions, and infrastructure changes. Essential insights for navigating today's dramatically different travel landscape.

Japan travel insights

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Disclaimer

An Important Author Note

Zen Gaijin is a strictly non-commercial source of information for interested readers. We do not seek or receive any economic gain from our posts and have no affiliate links. We do not promote or sell any products or services, nor do we accept compensation for our opinions. Additionally, we do not solicit subscriptions. All goods and services mentioned in our posts are fully paid for by us.

Our blog content is entirely original, based on our own research and personal experiences in Japan. Please request permission before reposting any written content from Zen Gaijin or reproducing any images used in our posts. Thank you for respecting the integrity of our intellectual property.

© 2024, Zen Gaijin

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