Get Your Groove On! A Thrifty Guide to Buying Guitars in Japan
Jan 24, 2022 By William Farrow
For those who love to hit, pluck, strike or strum their instrument of choice, moving to Japan can provide a few challenges. Short-term expats looking at only a few years in the country may not want to risk damaging their beloved instrument during the moves in and out of the...[ Click to read more ]
Music to Your Ears: The Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra
By William Farrow
While it is often easy to find places to see Japan's natural and manmade wonders, sometimes we all need to unwind and let ourselves appreciate the finer things in life. As you are in a country with a rich history in the fine arts, why not allow yourself to be...[ Click to read more ]
Nagoya is not boring! Discover Nagoya’s Best Tour Company
Dec 27, 2021 By Bert Wishart
Known primarily for its manufacturing, its central location, and its busy transport hub, Nagoya has a rep for being a place you only go to get to somewhere else. But steeped in history, with a distinctive cuisine and some stunning areas of natural beauty, I'm here to tell you: Nagoya...[ Click to read more ]
Live Comedy in Kansai
Oct 29, 2021 By Justin Hanus
Live comedy in countries such as the US and UK mostly conjures up images of listening to one person tell jokes and funny stories for an hour or so. But it often primarily involves groups or collectives of comedic theater performers putting on circus-like shows in many other places. Japan...[ Click to read more ]
Fortune Telling? It’s for the Birds!
Oct 28, 2021 By Bert Wishart
A Japanese proverb says, of the futility of trying to predict the future, 'when you talk about the future, demons laugh.' And yet, much of the population believe that the future is already ordained, mapped out in the stars and that if we look to them with just the right...[ Click to read more ]
Get to the Point – Traditional Japanese Swordsmithery Near Nagoya
By Bert Wishart
According to historian and author Stephen Turnbull on the Netflix documentary The Age of Samurai, "the samurai's most iconic weapon was the katana, the Japanese sword, widely regarded as the finest sword ever made in world history. It had a very sharp resilient blade, which was curved, and it enabled...[ Click to read more ]
The Unko Museum is anything but crappy
Sep 29, 2021 By Jason Gatewood
We knew it was bound to happen eventually; Japan is home to the first restroom-themed restaurant, our toilet technology is talked about and adored far and wide, and we even invented this 💩 emoji. So, of course, Japan should be the first to have a museum dedicated to all things...[ Click to read more ]
In the Beginning, There Was a Spear… How Japan was Created
Aug 31, 2021 By Bert Wishart
Here's a question I bet you've never asked yourself: Where do countries come from? We tend to take the land upon which we live as a given; it's just there, so we stand on it, build on it and sometimes even fight over it. If we do consider it, we...[ Click to read more ]
Get a Kick Out of Japan – Finding Martial Arts in Nagoya
Jun 29, 2021 By Bert Wishart
Whether you have just a passing interest or have studied for years, something is amazing about learning a martial art in the land of its conception, as well as giving you the skills necessary to improve in the sport; doing so also provides an unparalleled insight into the background, culture,...[ Click to read more ]
Alive and Rocking – See Local Music at Hiroshima’s Great Live Houses
Feb 26, 2021 By Bert Wishart
With just a cursory look at Japanese television, you would be forgiven for believing that Japan's music industry was an endless parade of identikit Johnny's boy bands or sprawling AKB-48 affiliated girl groups. Not that there is anything wrong with this homogenous J-Pop, per se, but there has to be more...[ Click to read more ]
