Let’s Tour Tokyo: Kichijoji
Jun 26, 2018 By Jason Gatewood
It’s been awhile since I last introduced a part of Tokyo you may not be so familiar with, so this time we’ll head westward from Shinjuku to visit the Kichijoji (吉祥寺) district. This area is centered around the junction of the JR Chuo Line and Keio Inokashira Line at its...[ Click to read more ]
Hiroshima Port Dream Fireworks
By Matt Mangham
Summer in Japan just doesn’t quite work without taking in at least one fireworks show. Hiroshima has several, but the two big crowd pleasers are the Miyajima show in August, and what is called the Yumehanabi, or “Dream Fireworks” from Hiroshima Port in the Ujina district. Formerly held directly in...[ Click to read more ]
Get Your Grill On – Nagoya’s BBQ Spots
May 29, 2018 By Bert Wishart
The Japanese have something of a love/hate relationship with the summer months. As soon as the mercury climbs above 25 degrees, women break out the parasols, curtains are pulled tight to keep out sunlight, and everyone’s vocabulary is limited to a single word: atsui (hot!). But that is not to say...[ Click to read more ]
Rice Planting Events in Hiroshima
By Matt Mangham
I always recommend venturing out of the city if you can. Rural Hiroshima Prefecture is a knockout, and this is a wonderful time of year. The spring foliage still shows its fresh, pale green on the hills, and the worst of the summer heat is weeks away. Most of the...[ Click to read more ]
Hiroshima’s Toukasan Festival
By Matt Mangham
For four hundred years, Hiroshima’s Toukasan festival has marked the arrival of summer for locals. Stretching over three days on the first weekend in June, the festival is officially in honor of Touka Daimyoujin, a deity enshrined at Enryu-ji, a temple one block north of Peace Boulevard on Chuo-dori. Also...[ Click to read more ]
Hakone and The Old Tokaido Road
Apr 26, 2018 By Jason Gatewood
Hakone is usually more synonymous with skiing or being a jumping off point for tours to Mt. Fuji but it’s actually a great place to check out almost anytime of the year since it’s easily accessible by way of the Odakyu Line or many direct express buses. Of the many...[ Click to read more ]
Day Tours for Kids in the Kansai Region
Apr 25, 2018 By Justin Hanus
Traveling with kids can be very tricky business because not all places adults would love to visit can be kid-friendly or even interesting to little ones. A part of your itinerary should include amusement parks, theme parks, museums for kids, zoos and the list goes on. Luckily, adults also can...[ Click to read more ]
Popular Water and Amusement Parks in Kobe
By Justin Hanus
Water and amusement parks are the best go to places for tourists and locals alike especially during the summers where the weather is at its warmest and a lot of people are on vacation making these places more exciting and fun. There are numerous varieties of parks in the world...[ Click to read more ]
Hiroshima’s Miroku no Sato Amusement Park
By Matt Mangham
Tokyo has Disneyland, Osaka has Universal Studios. Hiroshima prefecture has, well, Miroku no Sato. Despite feeling somewhat like an abandoned theme park that people haven’t quite abandoned yet, Miroku no Sato (the name means Village of the Future Buddha) is a lot of fun, and a bargain to boot. It’s...[ Click to read more ]
Learn About Tokyo’s Yesteryear At Taito Shitamachi Museum
Mar 27, 2018 By Jason Gatewood
Sooner or later as you become acclimated to this place, you’ll start learning about the different eras of Japan. For example as of March 2018, we are living in the Heisei Era, as defined by the sitting emperor. It’s how the year is officially calculated, and loosely defines a generation’s...[ Click to read more ]
