Get the App

Explore active Experio Hubs

Each Hub is a place where local Hosts are ready to help you experience it.

  • Fukuoka Hub

    Fukuoka, Japan

    Fukuoka is the largest city in Kyushu and one of Japan’s most open and easygoing urban centers. Facing the Asian continent across the sea, it has long served as a gateway between Japan and the rest of Asia. Today, Fukuoka is known for its food, compact city center, beaches, nightlife, startup scene, and relaxed lifestyle, making it feel energetic without the overwhelming scale of Tokyo or Osaka. The area has played an important role in international exchange for centuries because of its location close to Korea and China. Ancient trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchange all passed through northern Kyushu, helping shape the region’s identity. Modern Fukuoka grew from the neighboring areas of Hakata and Fukuoka, which developed as merchant and castle towns before eventually becoming one city. Daily life in Fukuoka is especially convenient because many parts of the city are close together. Business districts, shopping areas, restaurants, nightlife, residential neighborhoods, beaches, and the airport can all be reached relatively quickly. Hakata is a major transport and business center, while Tenjin is known for shopping, entertainment, cafés, and nightlife. The city also has a large student and young professional population, giving it a lively and modern atmosphere. Food is one of the strongest parts of Fukuoka culture. Hakata ramen, mentaiko, motsunabe, mizutaki, and fresh seafood are closely associated with the city. Fukuoka is also famous for its yatai, small outdoor food stalls that open in the evening and serve ramen, grilled food, drinks, and casual conversation. Festivals such as Hakata Gion Yamakasa reflect the city’s long merchant traditions and strong local community culture. Popular areas include Hakata, Tenjin, Nakasu, Ohori Park, Fukuoka Castle ruins, and the waterfront around Momochi. Dazaifu Tenmangu, located just outside central Fukuoka, is one of the region’s most important shrines. The city is also close to beaches, islands, mountains, and coastal areas, making it easy to combine urban life with outdoor activities. Things you can do in Fukuoka: ・ Experience Fukuoka’s famous food culture, including Hakata ramen, mentaiko, motsunabe, and fresh seafood. ・ Eat and socialize at traditional yatai food stalls in the evening. ・ Explore Hakata, Tenjin, Nakasu, and the city’s shopping and nightlife districts. ・ Visit Ohori Park, Fukuoka Castle ruins, and waterfront areas. ・ Discover the city’s long history of exchange with Korea, China, and other parts of Asia. ・ Experience local festivals such as Hakata Gion Yamakasa. ・ Explore beaches, islands, and coastal areas close to the city. ・ Visit Dazaifu and other historic sites around northern Kyushu. ・ Discover local cafés, student life, startup culture, and modern creative communities. ・ Experience a compact Japanese city where business, food, nightlife, nature, and international influences are all close together.

  • Hiroshima Hub

    Hiroshima, Japan

    Hiroshima is one of western Japan’s most internationally recognized cities. It is known around the world because of the atomic bombing of 1945 and its later role as a symbol of peace, but the city today is much more than its wartime history. Hiroshima is a lively regional center with rivers running through the city, busy shopping areas, universities, sports culture, local food, nearby islands, and easy access to the Seto Inland Sea. Hiroshima developed as a castle town from the late 16th century and later became an important military and industrial center. On August 6, 1945, the city was devastated by the world’s first atomic bomb used in war. Hiroshima was rebuilt in the decades that followed, and places such as the Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome, and Peace Memorial Museum now preserve that history while also expressing the city’s strong connection to peace education and remembrance. Daily life in Hiroshima feels more compact and relaxed than in Tokyo or Osaka. Streetcars remain an important part of the city’s transport network, and many neighborhoods are easy to reach from the center. Local life revolves around shopping streets, schools, offices, riverside areas, restaurants, cafés, parks, and sports. The city also has a strong connection to the sea and surrounding mountains, making it easy to combine urban life with nature. Hiroshima has its own distinctive food and cultural identity. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is one of the city’s best-known dishes, while oysters and other seafood from the Seto Inland Sea are widely enjoyed. Baseball is also a major part of local culture, with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp enjoying unusually strong support across the region. Local festivals, traditional crafts, sake brewing in nearby areas, and a strong sense of regional pride all contribute to the character of the city. The Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Dome are the city’s most internationally famous landmarks, while Hiroshima Castle, Shukkeien Garden, Hondori shopping street, and the riverside areas show other sides of Hiroshima. Just outside the city, Miyajima and Itsukushima Shrine are among Japan’s most famous cultural landscapes, with their iconic torii gate appearing to stand in the sea at high tide. The surrounding Seto Inland Sea also offers islands, coastal scenery, hiking, and slower local communities. Things you can do in Hiroshima: ・ Visit the Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome, and Peace Memorial Museum. ・ Learn about Hiroshima’s history, reconstruction, and modern peace culture. ・ Explore Hiroshima Castle, Shukkeien Garden, local shopping streets, and riverside neighborhoods. ・ Try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, oysters, local seafood, and regional sake. ・ Experience local baseball culture and the strong community around the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. ・ Ride Hiroshima’s streetcars and explore different parts of the city at a slower pace. ・ Visit Miyajima and Itsukushima Shrine and experience the Seto Inland Sea. ・ Discover local festivals, traditional crafts, markets, and neighborhood life. ・ Explore nearby islands, mountains, coastal areas, and outdoor activities. ・ Experience the contrast between Hiroshima’s difficult history and the active, everyday life of the modern city.

  • Sapporo Hub

    Sapporo, Japan

    Sapporo is the largest city in Hokkaido and one of Japan’s most distinctive urban centers. Compared with older Japanese cities, it feels spacious, planned, and closely connected to nature. It is internationally known for snow, winter sports, food, beer, and the Sapporo Snow Festival, but everyday life here is shaped just as much by wide streets, changing seasons, local neighborhoods, and the easy access to mountains and outdoor activities. The modern city developed rapidly during the Meiji era, when Hokkaido was being extensively settled and developed. Sapporo was designed with a grid-like street plan and grew into the political, economic, and cultural center of Hokkaido. Its history is therefore quite different from cities such as Kyoto or Osaka, with stronger connections to modern development, agriculture, frontier settlement, and the wider history of Hokkaido. Life in Sapporo changes dramatically with the seasons. Summers are generally cooler than in much of Japan, while winters bring heavy snow that becomes part of daily routines. People adapt their transport, clothing, leisure, and social life around the climate. The city has a relaxed pace compared with Tokyo or Osaka, with residential neighborhoods, universities, local shopping areas, parks, cafés, and restaurants spread across a relatively open urban landscape. Sapporo’s culture is strongly connected to Hokkaido food and the outdoors. Seafood, miso ramen, soup curry, jingisukan, dairy products, and local produce are all part of the city’s identity. Beer culture also has a long history here. Winter sports, hiking, skiing, cycling, festivals, and seasonal events play a major role in local life, while the city also has active music, nightlife, student, and creative communities. Odori Park runs through the center of the city and becomes the stage for major seasonal events, including the famous Sapporo Snow Festival. Susukino is the main nightlife and entertainment district, while places such as Sapporo Clock Tower, Hokkaido Shrine, Moerenuma Park, and the historic areas around the former Hokkaido Government Office show different sides of the city. Nearby mountains and ski areas make it possible to move from central Sapporo to outdoor environments very quickly. Things you can do in Sapporo: ・ Experience winter life in one of Japan’s snowiest major cities. ・ Explore the Sapporo Snow Festival and other seasonal events. ・ Try local specialties such as miso ramen, soup curry, jingisukan, seafood, and Hokkaido dairy products. ・ Discover local beer culture and Sapporo’s food and nightlife scenes. ・ Walk through Odori Park, Susukino, local shopping streets, and residential neighborhoods. ・ Experience skiing, snowboarding, hiking, cycling, and other outdoor activities close to the city. ・ See how local people adapt daily life to heavy snow and long winters. ・ Explore university life, cafés, music, and youth culture. ・ Visit parks, shrines, markets, and historic buildings connected to Hokkaido’s development. ・ Experience the strong seasonal contrast between snowy winters and mild, green summers.

  • Kyoto Hub

    Kyoto, Japan

    Kyoto is one of Japan’s most culturally significant cities and is known around the world for its temples, shrines, traditional streets, gardens, seasonal scenery, and long connection to Japanese history. For more than a thousand years, it served as the imperial capital of Japan, and that legacy still shapes the city today. At the same time, Kyoto is not only a historic destination—it is also a living city of universities, local neighborhoods, craftspeople, families, students, cafés, and modern cultural life. Kyoto became the imperial capital in 794 and remained at the center of Japanese court culture for centuries. Many of Japan’s artistic, religious, architectural, and cultural traditions developed or flourished here. Although the political center later shifted elsewhere, Kyoto preserved much of its historical character, and today it remains home to a remarkable concentration of temples, shrines, traditional townhouses, gardens, and cultural institutions. Daily life in Kyoto often moves at a slower pace than in Japan’s largest cities. Residential neighborhoods, riverside paths, local shopping streets, universities, small restaurants, cafés, and seasonal events shape everyday routines. The city also has a large student population, giving many areas a youthful atmosphere that exists alongside older traditions and established local communities. Kyoto’s culture is closely connected to tea, traditional crafts, cuisine, gardens, architecture, festivals, and performing arts. Geiko and maiko culture remains associated with historic districts such as Gion, while ceramics, textiles, lacquerware, confectionery, and other crafts continue to be produced by local artisans. Seasonal awareness is also a strong part of Kyoto life, with cherry blossoms, summer festivals, autumn leaves, and New Year traditions changing the mood of the city throughout the year. Some of Kyoto’s best-known places include Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama, Gion, Nishiki Market, and the Philosopher’s Path. Historic areas such as Higashiyama and Gion show a more traditional side of the city, while central Kyoto mixes older streets with modern shopping, restaurants, offices, and university life. The Kamo River also plays an important role in local life, with people walking, cycling, relaxing, and meeting along its banks. Things you can do in Kyoto: ・ Explore temples, shrines, gardens, and historic streets. ・ Experience traditional crafts, tea culture, and local cuisine. ・ Walk through Gion, Higashiyama, Arashiyama, and other historic districts. ・ Discover university neighborhoods, cafés, bookstores, and student life. ・ Visit local markets, shopping streets, and family-run businesses. ・ Experience seasonal traditions such as cherry blossoms, Gion Matsuri, autumn colors, and New Year visits. ・ Learn about geiko and maiko culture and Kyoto’s traditional performing arts. ・ Explore the Kamo River and quieter residential neighborhoods. ・ Discover local ceramics, textiles, sweets, and artisan workshops. ・ Experience Kyoto beyond the famous landmarks through everyday neighborhood life.

  • Osaka Hub

    Osaka, Japan

    Osaka is one of Japan’s largest and most energetic cities, known for its food, humor, nightlife, shopping, and direct, friendly atmosphere. Compared with Tokyo, Osaka often feels more informal and expressive, with busy commercial streets, lively neighborhoods, local markets, and a strong sense of regional identity. It is also an important international city and a major gateway to western Japan. Historically, Osaka developed as a major center of trade and commerce and was often called the “nation’s kitchen” because of its important role in food distribution. Osaka Castle remains one of the city’s best-known historical landmarks, while older districts, temples, markets, and long-established businesses still reflect its merchant past. Daily life in Osaka is closely tied to neighborhood streets, local shopping areas, food, and social interaction. People move easily between busy commercial districts and quieter residential areas, and the city has a strong after-work and evening culture. Small restaurants, standing bars, shopping arcades, local cafés, sports, and neighborhood events are an important part of everyday life. Osaka’s culture is strongly associated with food, comedy, entertainment, and a more relaxed communication style. Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, and other local dishes are closely connected to the city’s identity, while Osaka is also famous for manzai comedy, theater, music, baseball culture, and nightlife. The local dialect, Osaka-ben, is another distinctive part of the city’s personality. Dotonbori and Namba are among Osaka’s most recognizable areas, filled with restaurants, neon signs, shopping, and entertainment. Osaka Castle offers a connection to the city’s history, while Shinsekai has a more old-fashioned and distinctive street atmosphere. Umeda represents modern Osaka with offices, department stores, restaurants, and major transport connections, while areas such as Tennoji, Nakazakicho, Kuromon Market, and the long shotengai of Tenjinbashisuji reveal very different sides of the city. Things you can do in Osaka: ・ Explore local food culture, from street food to small family-run restaurants. ・ Walk through lively neighborhoods such as Namba, Dotonbori, Shinsekai, and Umeda. ・ Experience Osaka’s nightlife, izakaya culture, standing bars, and late-night food. ・ Discover local markets, shopping arcades, and traditional commercial streets. ・ Experience comedy, theater, music, and Osaka’s strong entertainment culture. ・ Learn about Osaka-ben and the city’s distinctive communication style. ・ See how merchants, shop owners, workers, students, and families experience everyday life. ・ Visit Osaka Castle, temples, older districts, and places connected to the city’s trading history. ・ Experience local sports culture, especially baseball and football. ・ Explore quieter residential neighborhoods and see a different side of Osaka beyond the busy center. ・ Discover international communities and food from different parts of Asia and the world. ・ Experience seasonal festivals, local events, and neighborhood traditions.

  • Tokyo Hub

    Tokyo, Japan

    Tokyo is one of the world’s most recognizable cities and the center of modern Japan. Known internationally for its technology, food, fashion, entertainment, transportation, and scale, it is also far more varied than its global image suggests. Busy districts such as Shibuya and Shinjuku exist alongside quiet residential neighborhoods, traditional shopping streets, local parks, temples, family-run restaurants, and community spaces. Tokyo developed from Edo, which became the political center of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. Renamed Tokyo in 1868, the city later grew into Japan’s political, economic, and cultural center. Despite earthquakes, war, and rapid redevelopment, traces of old Edo remain in its temples, shrines, gardens, festivals, traditional businesses, and historic neighborhoods. Daily life in Tokyo is closely connected to its railway network and local neighborhoods. Many people commute across the city for work or study, while everyday life often stays centered around a smaller area of supermarkets, cafés, schools, restaurants, parks, and shopping streets. Central Tokyo can feel intensely urban, while western areas offer quieter suburbs, rivers, forests, and easy access to nature. Tokyo’s culture combines long-established traditions with constantly changing modern influences. Shrines, festivals, crafts, sumo, and seasonal customs exist alongside anime, gaming, fashion, music, technology, and contemporary art. Different areas have their own identities: Akihabara for pop culture and electronics, Harajuku for fashion, Shimokitazawa and Koenji for music and vintage culture, and Shin-Okubo for some of the city’s strongest international influences. Tokyo’s famous places are spread across the city rather than concentrated in one center. Asakusa and Sensō-ji show an older side of Tokyo, while Shibuya and Shinjuku represent its modern energy. Meiji Jingu, Ginza, Akihabara, Ueno, the Imperial Palace area, Tokyo Tower, and Tokyo Skytree each reveal a different part of the city. Beyond these landmarks, neighborhoods such as Yanaka, Kichijoji, Kagurazaka, and Shimokitazawa offer a more local atmosphere. Things you can experience in Tokyo: ・ Explore old neighborhoods, temples, shrines, and traditional shopping streets. ・ Experience local food, from sushi and ramen to small neighborhood restaurants and cafés. ・ Discover anime, manga, gaming, fashion, music, and other subcultures. ・ See how people commute, work, study, shop, and spend their evenings. ・ Visit izakaya, karaoke venues, markets, sento bathhouses, parks, and community spaces. ・ Experience seasonal life through cherry blossoms, summer festivals, autumn colors, and New Year traditions. ・ Explore international communities, restaurants, and cultural influences from around the world. ・ Discover suburban Tokyo, rivers, mountains, and outdoor areas such as Mt. Takao and Okutama. ・ Experience famous districts as well as the quieter everyday side of life in Tokyo.