<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Inaka Desk</title><description>Practical guides for English-speaking travelers to rural Japan, written by a working tour guide in Miyama, Kyoto — the information that never made it past the language barrier.</description><link>https://inakadesk.com/</link><language>en-us</language><item><title>How do I avoid missing the last bus in rural Japan?</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/transport/last-bus-rural-japan/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/transport/last-bus-rural-japan/</guid><description>Missing the last rural bus can strand you for the night. How to find the 終バス time, plan your day around it, and what to do if you miss it anyway.</description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>What apps and phrases work offline in rural Japan?</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/how-to/offline-apps-phrases-rural-japan/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/how-to/offline-apps-phrases-rural-japan/</guid><description>The apps to download before you lose signal, the phrases that actually help, and how to read Japanese signs and menus with your camera — no fluency needed.</description><pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>What should I eat in rural Japan — and how do I order it?</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/food/eat-rural-japan/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/food/eat-rural-japan/</guid><description>What to eat in the Japanese countryside — local, seasonal food — and how to order at ticket-machine and Japanese-only eateries without speaking a word.</description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How do I use a Japanese onsen? Etiquette for first-timers</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/experiences/onsen-etiquette-first-timers/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/experiences/onsen-etiquette-first-timers/</guid><description>The simple onsen routine, the rules you must not break, and the naked question answered — so you can relax in a Japanese hot spring with confidence.</description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Where should I go in rural Japan?</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/destinations/where-to-go-rural-japan/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/destinations/where-to-go-rural-japan/</guid><description>How to choose a rural region in Japan — by season, access, and the kind of day you want — plus the practical steps to reach it without Japanese.</description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How do I book a ryokan that has no English website?</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/how-to/book-ryokan-no-english/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/how-to/book-ryokan-no-english/</guid><description>A copy-paste Japanese email template that books phone-only, Japanese-only inns — plus the two replies you&apos;ll get and how to confirm your stay.</description><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Reading Japanese-only bus timetables (a survival skill)</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/transport/read-japanese-bus-timetables/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/transport/read-japanese-bus-timetables/</guid><description>The kanji that matter on a rural bus timetable, how to read it row by row, and the weekday-versus-weekend trap that strands travelers.</description><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>How do I travel rural Japan without speaking Japanese?</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/how-to/travel-rural-japan-without-japanese/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/how-to/travel-rural-japan-without-japanese/</guid><description>A working guide&apos;s plain-English playbook for rural Japan: booking, buses, cash, food, and connectivity — with the exact steps for each.</description><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Can I use a Japanese onsen if I have tattoos?</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/experiences/onsen-tattoos/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/experiences/onsen-tattoos/</guid><description>Tattoo rules at Japanese hot springs, and three ways into the water anyway — from a guide who books onsen for foreign guests.</description><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Is a countryside day trip from Kyoto worth it?</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/destinations/kyoto-countryside-day-trip/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/destinations/kyoto-countryside-day-trip/</guid><description>Honest math from a working guide: when a day trip to rural Kyoto beats another temple loop — and which buses make it work.</description><pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>Cash, cards &amp; country Japan: the honest math</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/how-to/cash-cards-rural-japan/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/how-to/cash-cards-rural-japan/</guid><description>Where cards fail, which ATMs accept foreign cards, and the simple 10,000-yen rule for a countryside trip.</description><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title>The cheapest way to move money to Japan in 2026</title><link>https://inakadesk.com/how-to/cheapest-money-transfer-japan/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://inakadesk.com/how-to/cheapest-money-transfer-japan/</guid><description>Wise vs. bank transfer vs. airport exchange, compared with the real fees a countryside trip actually incurs.</description><pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>