Japan is a land of harmonious dualities, ancient and modern, disciplined and creative, spiritual and exhilarating. In this reflective journey from Tokyo to Hokkaido, Duncan Grossart explores Shinto shrines, samurai history and vibrant city life before heading north in search of legendary Japow, the world famous powder snow that has made Niseko a global skiing icon. Beneath the perfect volcanic cone of Mount Yōtei, amid birch forests and constant snowfall, the experience becomes more than sport. It is immersion in nature, culture and climate systems working in quiet precision. From sumo rings and sacred gardens to backcountry tree runs and Ainu heritage, this is a story of learning through travel, of landscapes that reshape perspective and remind us that adventure, like snowfall, is most magical when balanced with reverence.

Japan is a land of harmonious dualities, ancient and modern, disciplined and creative, spiritual and exhilarating. In this reflective journey from Tokyo to Hokkaido, Duncan Grossart explores Shinto shrines, samurai history and vibrant city life before heading north in search of legendary Japow, the world famous powder snow that has made Niseko a global skiing icon. Beneath the perfect volcanic cone of Mount Yōtei, amid birch forests and constant snowfall, the experience becomes more than sport. It is immersion in nature, culture and climate systems working in quiet precision. From sumo rings and sacred gardens to backcountry tree runs and Ainu heritage, this is a story of learning through travel, of landscapes that reshape perspective and remind us that adventure, like snowfall, is most magical when balanced with reverence.

In Romania’s Southern Carpathians, rewilding is not theory but lived reality. In this first instalment of our In Conversation With series, Professor Alastair Driver reflects on tracking European bison, witnessing extraordinary biodiversity and spending time with the conservationists restoring one of Europe’s last great wild landscapes. From intimate small-group access to hopeful models of nature recovery, this journey reveals what becomes possible when travel connects us directly to the people and places shaping a more regenerative future.