I’m an office worker and blogger based in the Kanto region of Japan, and I love walking, hot springs, and travel more than three meals a day.
emotazu is a blog where I write about “small experiences that make everyday life a little richer.”
Why I Started This Blog
I’ve enjoyed travel since my student days, but I only truly fell for it after I started working.
When stress from work made me ill, my doctor told me to “just walk,” and I began taking walks around my neighborhood. That was the turning point.
As I walked, I discovered small coffee shops, parks with beautiful sunsets, and public baths known only to locals. I realized how much fun it is to come across these “places you won’t find in a guidebook.” For more than ten years now, I’ve lived a lifestyle of walking on my days off and staying at hot spring inns during longer holidays.
Reading various travel blogs, I’ve had the experience of thinking “the photos look great, but it was different when I actually went” many times.
That’s exactly why, on my own blog, I value writing honestly, including the downsides, and publishing everything I actually paid and every distance I actually walked.
Blog Themes
| Theme | Content |
|---|---|
| 🚶 Walking | Scenery found on everyday walks, walking routes, and ways to enjoy the seasons |
| ♨ Hot Springs & Public Baths | Visits to hot spring areas and public baths across Japan, with hands-on reports on water quality, prices, and access |
| ✈ Travel | Long domestic travel journals, area-by-area model courses, and full breakdowns of costs |
Recent Highlight: A 20-Day Hokkaido Road Trip
In April 2026, my wife and I spent 20 days touring Hokkaido.
It was a major trip covering almost the entire region — Hakodate → Sapporo → Otaru → Furano & Biei → Wakkanai → Shiretoko — and I recorded the total cost of ¥612,000 for two people down to the last yen.
I’ve published the full record as a seven-part series:
- The Complete 20-Day Hokkaido Itinerary
- Full Cost Breakdown of a 20-Day Hokkaido Trip
- Otaru 2-Day Walking Guide: Food, Glass & the Canal
- Hakodate 3 Days: Hillside Walks, the Million-Dollar Night View, Morning Market & Goryokaku Cherry Blossoms
- The Complete Sapporo Food Guide: 30 Restaurants Ranked over a 9-Day Stay
- Furano & Biei Drive: Blue Pond, Secluded Hot Springs & a Cheese Factory in 2 Days
- Wakkanai Day Trip: A Complete Guide to Cape Soya, Japan’s Northernmost Point
What I Value on This Blog
- Only first-hand information: I only write about what I’ve visited on my own feet, paid for with my own money, and seen with my own eyes.
- I write the downsides too: I report both the good and the bad, evenly.
- I give numbers: Not “roughly,” but concrete figures — how many yen, how many minutes, how many kilometers.
- Information not in guidebooks: I focus on “things you only learn by going,” rather than official information.
Editorial Policy
On this blog, I only introduce products and services genuinely useful for readers’ travel and outings, through affiliate links.
I never change my evaluation based on whether I receive compensation, and I limit my recommendations to things I have actually used, stayed at, or experienced myself.
Contact
For questions about articles, interview requests, or PR inquiries, please feel free to reach out via the contact form.
I also share blog updates on X (formerly Twitter). (planned)
Site Information
- Site name: emotazu
- Concept: Making everyday life a little richer through walking, hot springs, and travel
- Operator: emotazu
- Launched: 2023 (fully renewed in theme and content in May 2026)
- Contact: contact form
I’ll keep updating at my own pace — thank you for reading!
