The Nagato area flies under the radar of everyone but Japanese travellers, who have long seen the appeal of its onsen towns, craggy isles and fishing heritage

Explore a little-visited region where Shinto gods congregate and masked dancers tell ancient legends

Discover Kobe city’s famous Wagyu beef, visit one of Japan’s few ‘original’ castles and meet the small-town brewers and potters that make this region so special

After seeing the devastation of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Mohri Chikafusa wanted to help local producers get back on their feet. He tells Rebecca Hallett how he achieved this by establishing the Akiu Winery in Miyagi

Companies in the news and how they were assessed

Celebrating 100 years of the BBC Shipping Forecast, Jane Russell takes us on a series of coastal cruises through the forecast sea areas, exploring some of the special places on offer in each of them