August sees Mac, Founder and Lead Guide of Maction Planet, galavanting around Spain and the UK! Featured image: A visit to the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall on 21 August yielded an unexpected find in the gift shop: a postcard by Ezen Designs featuring a remix of Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, […]
Read more
July was all about my time interning at the Rishiri Distillery. One of the most incredible months of my life. ‘Nuff said. Featured image: When my month was over, as if by destiny, the island saw me off with this absolutely spectacular view from the plane. After a few days of milling, it was time […]
Read more
June opened with me guiding at Tokyo DisneySea and closed with me making whisky on Rishiri Island, with plenty packed in between: Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Izu, and a steady run of guiding days for returning and first-time guests alike. Highlights included the Nintendo Museum and Katsuo-ji’s daruma in Kansai, a deer reunion in Nara, the […]
Read more
May 2026 was a month of serendipity and the accumulation of moments that remind you why Japan never gets old. Guests old and new, returning families and first-timers, day tours and multi-week adventures: the full spectrum of what Maction Planet does, compressed into a single month. On the Kanpai Planet side, the biggest Ben Nevis […]
Read more
April 2026 was a month that barely stopped for breath. Guiding took me across Tokyo and Kyoto with some truly brilliant guests, while the city’s cultural calendar kept pace: the 91st Hachiko Memorial Ceremony, the 36th Narita Taiko Festival, and the Bunkyo Azalea Festival in full riot at Nezu Shrine. Sumo stables old and new […]
Read more
March 2026 was relentless in the best possible way. It began in Tokyo, crossed to Singapore and Sydney, then returned to the build-up to the cherry blossoms. Whisky festivals, art fairs, mascot encounters, and a rain-soaked NPB opener at Meiji Jingu. In between: architectural revelations in Karuizawa, food time travel with an izakaya historian, Rome […]
Read more
February 2026 was the kind of month that reminds you why you do this. It began before dawn at the Toyosu tuna auction and barely slowed down from there — eight days guiding Effie and Joseph across Tokyo, Hakone, and Kyoto; a VIP Disney experience; the Chichibu Whisky Matsuri; a gala dinner at the Mori […]
Read more
Happy New Year! あけおめコトヨロ! January took me the length and breadth of the country, with a Manchester detour best left unmentioned (Exeter City lost 10-1 to Manchester City in the FA Cup). I spent days in Dornoch with Phil and Simon Thompson at their castle hotel, distillery, and whisky bar, before returning to London to […]
Read more
December marks the end of an extraordinary 2025 for Maction Planet – our busiest ever! We welcomed more guests than we’ve ever had the privilege of hosting, with experiences ranging from intimate whisky evenings to epic two-week journeys across Japan. Plus, we welcomed more repeat guests than ever – amazing people who have toured with […]
Read more
Remember, remember, the fifth of November – and all the other amazing days in the eleventh month of 2025. We continue… Featured image: The main mountain near Ise is Mount Asama, the highest peak in the Ise-Shima National Park. The summit offers panoramic views of Ise Bay and the surrounding area, and on clear days, […]
Read more