Travel advice

WHEN you picture Japan, what comes to mind?

Ultra-modern cities drenched in neon lights? Steam rising from a bowl of soul-warming ramen?

Maybe it’s the stillness of a Zen garden, or the striking silhouette of a Japanese castle. Perhaps it’s Sashimi hand-crafted with the freshest of fish.

You may think that experiencing all of the above means spending weeks journeying across the country with a rail pass and a backpack.

Luckily, you can find them all in one underrated region: Hyōgo prefecture.

Next door to touristy Kyoto, Hyōgo offers Samurai castles, hot spring baths, thrilling theme parks and world-class Wagyu all in one place.

Read more on Japan travel

EAT UP

I went to the foodie capital of the world and had the best meals on the cheap

TEN OUT OF YEN

Newly-affordable long-haul holiday hotspot has 85p meals & cheap theme parks

Hyōgo truly earns its nickname “Japan in Miniature”, as it packs some of Japan’s finest cultural and historical sights into one diverse region.

Plus, there’s never been a better time for Brits to visit Japan.

With the new JESTA travel authorisation system expected to arrive in 2028 – which will require Brits to pre-register before travelling – it’s worth ticking the trip off of your bucket list before the new program and its fees are introduced.

Plus, the yen remains weak against the British pound in 2026, so you can stretch your money further on food, shopping and hotels than ever before.

I enjoyed bowls of delicious ramen for just ¥700 (£3.28), and went shopping for high-quality clothing in UNIQLO for a fraction of UK prices.

So to see what this underrated region has to offer, I explored Hyōgo Prefecture from top to bottom – from the coastal hot spring town of Kinosaki Onsen, down to the glitz of Kobe.

Himeji – samurai era castles, Japanese gardens and traditional restaurants

You might recognise this castle as Tiger Tanaka’s ninja training school in the Bond film You Only Live Twice.

Himeji Castle has also appeared in many classic samurai films such as Ran and Kagemusha, but this is much more than a famous filming location.

Himeji Castle is Japan’s most-visited castle – and it’s widely considered the most beautiful, too.

It’s easy to see why, I thought, as I approached the strikingly white hilltop fortress.

Himeji Castle is a listed UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned as the best-preserved feudal era samurai castle in Japan.

Although the hilltop fortification has existed since 1333, the castle as we see it today was built back in the early 17th century.

Since then, Himeji Castle remains remarkably intact, surviving events such as WWII bombing.

The bright white exterior and elegant tiered roofs are said to resemble a heron taking flight, earning it the nickname of the White Heron Castle.

Actually getting inside the castle, however, was quite the task.

Expertly designed to ward off intruders, you must get past multiple moats and a whopping 83 defensive features to make it inside.

These include false entrances, terrifying stone drops, plenty of gun ports and a disorienting, winding path up to the castle.

Even the plants beside the stone walls were a strategic part of the defence, with thorny, tangled overgrowth designed to stop attackers who tried to escape.

“Imagine you were an intruder trying to get in” said my Himeji Castle tour guide, as she pointed out endless stone drops, hidden gun ports and false entrances. “It would be near impossible!”

After admiring the architecture, I walked just five minutes to the peaceful grounds of the Kōko-en Garden.

Inside Kōko-en are nine Japanese gardens built upon the grounds of old samurai residences, with a large koi fish pond and traditional tea house.

These gardens are a must-see no matter which season you visit Japan.

Spring brings cherry blossoms, summer bursts with greenery and lotus flowers, whilst my winter visit still glowed with autumnal orange.

After wandering through bamboo, crossing stone bridges and hopping stepping stones over glossy waters, I settled down in the garden’s restaurant for a bite to eat.

Here you have your choice between lunch sets including grilled eel, crispy tempura and fluffy pancakes – all served with plenty of green tea and calming waterfall views.

Himeji felt like a snapshot of Japanese excellence, where expert craftsmanship and manicured gardens sit side by side in one unmissable city.

Kobe – world-famous Wagyu and glitzy nightlife

Just a 20-minute ride on the ultra-fast Shinkansen will take you from the historical marvels of Himeji straight to Hyōgo’s bustling capital: Kobe.

This glitzy city was made for wandering into jazz bars and soaking up neon lights, the lively promenade watched over by the glowing red Kobe Port Tower.

I spent days drifting between independent streetwear shops and artsy cafes, as well as making sure to stock up on clothes from trendy UNIQLO – which costs a fraction of the price in Japan compared to the UK.

Down by the waterfront at night, Kobe Harborland is the city at its most lively.

This area is packed with shops, museums, restaurants and a giant Ferris wheel, coming alive after dark.

But Kobe is best-known for its world-famous delicacy: Kobe beef.

To see if it lived up to the hype, I took a counter seat at a Teppanyaki restaurant to watch the chef cook the world-famous steak before my eyes.

I started by trying some Kobe beef sushi, priced at ¥1,260 (£6) – a dish I was unsure of at first, bu the raw beef dissolved on the tongue, leaving a rich, sweet flavour long after eating the rice.

Next came a whole platter packed with thin slices of delicate roast Kobe beef, served cold with a sweet sauce, priced at ¥2,970 (£14).

Last up was the dish I’d been waiting for: a Kobe beef fillet steak, which was buttery soft, oozing with juices and packed with Umami flavour.

Kobe beef steaks can certainly be a splurge (steak with veggies starts at ¥6,600, or £31 at Plaisir) but you can enjoy excellent Japanese beef on a budget too.

A premium Japanese beef burger, for example, costs just ¥1,300 (£6.16) at popular restaurant Brisk Stand.

In 2025, their signature Kittayatsu burger even won the Japan Burger Championship – not bad for a bite under £7.

Awaji Island – theme park paradise

Just a 30-minute bus hop from Kobe over the Akashi-Kaikyo suspension bridge, is Awaji Island – the home of jaw-dropping amusement parks.

Take your pick from three Hello Kitty attractions, fairy-tale and dinosaur worlds at Onokoro Theme Park, and anime fan heaven at a Naruto: Boruto themed land.

I chose to visit the Nijigen no Mori theme park – and whizz down a zip line into a giant Godzilla head.

The Godzilla Intercept Operation Awaji is the world’s largest Godzilla theme park land, made with the production company of the original movies.

The area includes a zip line, miniature movie, shooting game, museum, themed cafe and merchandise shop.

I opted for a light ticket, which grants access to the movie, zip line and shooting game for ¥2,800 (£13.25) per adult and ¥1,800 (£8.52) for children.

I shakily climbed several sets of stairs, and was asked if I’d prefer to zip past Godzilla’s body at 499 feet, or directly into his mouth at 531 feet.

I didn’t travel 13 hours to this Japanese island for nothing, so the choice to me was obvious.

The next and final task was to shoot at glowing targets on Godzilla’s body, whilst ducking down to avoid being seen by the creature.

I ended my visit by shopping for exclusive Godzilla gifts and eyeing up the unique meals on offer at the cafe – a Burning Godzilla Curry for ¥2,200 (£10.41) and Destroyah Hamburger Combo at ¥2,000 (£9.46).

You can book a ticket to the Godzilla Intercept Operation directly via the Nijigen no Mori website, or on apps such as Klook and GetYourGuide.

Kinosaki Onsen – a magical hot spring town

For something a little more relaxing, there’s the hot springs of Kinosaki Onsen Town.

An onsen is a traditional Japanese hot spring bath. These soothing geothermal pools are found all over Japan, thanks to the country’s volcanic landscape.

Onsens are said to have numerous health benefits due to their mineral-rich waters, and I was excited to check out their restorative reputation.

Kinosaki Onsen is a 1,300 year-old town where visitors can go onsen hopping, dipping in and out of seven public bathhouses lining its high street.

Visitors are encouraged to wear yukata (a lightweight Japanese robe), geta (traditional wooden sandals), as well as tabi (split-toe socks).

Kinosaki is a postcard-perfect town set along a quiet canal, lined by glowing stone lanterns and drooping willows. Dressed in traditional attire, I set out to explore its streets – and take part in the ritual of onsen.

The public bath experience is an unforgettable ritual, with a few customs to follow. Once shoes and belongings are stored away, you must bring only a small towel inside with you – which is often neatly folded upon your head when entering the water.

Once you’re in, it’s bliss, and I left with silky skin, and fully warmed through by the 40°C baths, ready to face the winter weather.

A Kinosaki day pass lets you dip in as many onsens as you please for just￥1,500 (£7.10).

They are available to buy at any of the seven bathhouses.

NEW passport rules are being rolled out by the UK government this week, and it affects anyone with two passports.

From February 25, dual British nationals will have to carry a valid British passport.

Anyone who tries to travel into the UK – via train, ferry or plane – could be banned from boarding if they are unable to show one.

The only alternative to having a British passport is instead paying for a £589 “certificate of entitlement,” the Guardian reports.

A Home Office spokesperson explains: “From February 25, 2026, all dual British citizens will need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement to avoid delays at the border.”

This will be attached to the non-British passport instead.

PASSED OVER

Mum forced to miss £820 holiday & is banned from flight after passport mistake

GO ON

All the little-known websites for cheap or FREE tickets to gigs, theatre & festivals

It is thought as many as 1.26million people in England and Wales hold more than one passport – working out to 2.1 per cent of the population.

The new rules follow the roll out of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), which requires any non-British or non-Irish tourists to £16 for.

The UK government said the changes were to create a “seamless travel experience”.

Some have slammed the rules, claiming there is not enough time to allow them to get a British passport or change flights.

Kara Przybylski, 26, from Brisbane, is a dual citizen but doesn’t currently have a British passport.

She said: “It sucks for people who have flights booked, the government should have allowed more time before it comes into effect.”

Others worry for their children – one British woman in Germany said that it would affect their kids.

She called the rule change “short-notice, shortsighted [and] arbitrary”.

The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot explains: “People abroad have said they weren’t told enough in advance this was happening.

“Getting a passport is going to be a lengthy process, and expensive for families to have two passports per person.

“You could be denied boarding unless you have a British passport or this certificate”.

British nationals living in the UK will not be affected by the rule change, nor do they need to purchase an ETA when returning to Britain.

However, an ETIAS will be required from Brits heading to Europe when it is rolled out later this year.

Yet to confirm an official date, the visa-waiver will be similar to the ESTA required for the US.

Costing around £17, it will last three years, although will be free for under 18s and over 70s.

And here is what to know about the new Entry/Exit System (ESS) being rolled out across Europe as well.

HAVE you ever dreamed of packing your bags and jetting off to find a place in the sun in Europe, but thought it wasn’t possible post- Brexit?

You might be surprised to learn how easy it is for British passport-holders to secure a visa to live in Portugal.

That’s exactly what I did last year, when, as a 39-year-old singleton, I rented out my one-bedroom flat in London and moved to Lisbon to work remotely on the D7 visa.

Here’s everything you need to know about why you should choose Portugal – and how to do the same thing I did.

Why move to Portugal?

When people ask me why I wanted to move to Portugal, I always say the same thing: the amazing weather!

I was thrilled to discover that temperatures reach 30C or more in July and August and rarely dip below 10C even in January, which makes a wonderful change from the endless rain and freezing winters that were really getting me down back home.

Plus, the nearest beaches to Lisbon are a 20-minute train ride along the coast at Carcavelos – or I can share an Uber with friends over the Tagus River to reach the stunning beaches at Costa da Caparica,
which is also a popular surfing spot.

I love having the culture and nightlife of the capital city on my doorstep.

But if you prefer a quieter life, you might want to head to the seaside suburb of Cascais, the picturesque former fishing town of Ericeira or the southern coastal region of the Algarve, which is particularly popular with Brits.

Wherever you go, the cost of living is much lower in Portugal than in the UK.

The rent for my modern two-bedroom apartment with a balcony and sunset views is around £1,100 a month – while I rent out my one-bedroom flat in London for £1,800.

Eating out is astonishingly cheap. I rarely pay more than £25 for two tasty courses and a couple of drinks.

A glass of delicious Portuguese white wine is around £2.50, and you can even get a whole bottle for the same price in supermarkets.

Taxis – a luxury I rarely enjoyed in London – are much more affordable too, with ride-hailing apps Uber and Bolt regularly applying automatic discounts of up to 45 per cent to try to attract customers.

My last trip back from the airport cost £6.50 for a 25-minute ride across the city.

Finally, it’s the slower pace of life that I love here.

The locals are friendly, it’s easy to make friends within the large expat community and the city is wonderfully walkable, so you don’t have to spend hours on public transport to get to work or meet up with friends (but if you do take the Metro or bus that’s super cheap too).

Since I quit my full-time job to go freelance and swapped dreary weather for sunshine and blue skies, my stress levels have plummeted and I couldn’t be happier that I chose to make Portugal my home.

What is the D7 visa?

Introduced in 2019 to attract foreign residents, the D7 is a passive income visa which requires you to prove you have an income of €10,440 (£8,825) a year from sources such as rental income, pensions or investment dividends – which works out to around £735 per month.

If, like me, you own a property in the UK and can make £735 a month in rent, you may be eligible for the D7 visa, which requires you to pay taxes in Portugal and stay in the country for eight months out of each year (or six months consecutively).

To apply for the two-year visa, you’ll first need proof of your passive income, such as a rental agreement, pension or investment statement.

You’ll need to obtain a NIF or Número de Identificação Fiscal (taxpayer identification number), open a Portuguese bank account and deposit savings of €10,440 (£8,825) for the first adult applying, plus 50 per cent of this amount for each additional adult and 30 per cent for each child, to prove you can support yourself or
your family financially.

You must show that you have secured one year’s accommodation in Portugal.

This could be a rental agreement or 12 months of Airbnb bookings, or if you happen to know someone who already lives in Portugal they can fill in what’s called a Term of Responsibility form to say you’ll be living with them.

You will also need six months of travel insurance and a DBS criminal record check issued by the UK government within two months of your visa application appointment.

Once you’ve ticked all these boxes, the next step is to make an appointment at the VFS Global centre Manchester or London to submit all your documents.

You will also have to hand over your passport, so make sure you don’t have any travel planned in the following 60 days, which is how long VFS Global estimates it takes to process a D7 visa.

However, my passport arrived back with my visa inside after just 22 days last May.

The D7 visa application process isn’t complicated but is time-consuming, so make a detailed to-do list that you can work through methodically.

I found Facebook groups such as ‘D7 Move to Portugal’ handy for asking questions whenever they cropped up during the six-month process.

For example, I learned there’s a branch of Portuguese bank Millennium BCP in London where you can open an account in person.

The hardest part for me was finding my apartment in Lisbon.

I viewed 17 flats during a 10-day trip, landing mine after applying for three flats in different neighbourhoods.

But now that I’m happily settled into my new life, I realise it was worth all the effort and admin.

My advice if you’re tempted to make the move and think you might be eligible for the D7 visa? Go for it!