J-Trip Plan

Summer Waterfront Retreats & The Gardens of Hokkaido

Summer is here and we look at how to keep cool while you are in Japan, introducing waterfront retreats, and traditional and modern cooling devices. Our correspondent talks about the Setouchi Triennale art exhibition. Our reporter visits 5 gardens along the Hokkaido Garden Path. She also tastes the local produce, sweets and cheeses on offer. One garden has some 2,500 varieties of flowers; another highlights conifers. An award-winning garden borrows the nearby mountain range as a backdrop.