Baeren: Morioka’s Beer

Jun 13, 2019 By Jade Brischke

Last month I wrote about my favourite places for craft beer. I half expected to receive death threats for failing to mention what is considered to be THE city’s craft beer: Baeren. The thing is, not mentioning it was deliberate. Some people are going to accuse me of being blasphemous,...[ Click to read more ]

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Let’s Tour: Yokocho Drinking Alleys

May 25, 2019 By Jason Gatewood

Japan is very adept at making sure its past is preserved while building the future in terms of architecture at the city level. It is very common to see a new building complex go up right next door to a 200+ year old temple complex in many cities, even in...[ Click to read more ]

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The Top 3 Craft Beer Spots in Morioka (according to me!) in Iwate Prefecture

May 22, 2019 By Jade Brischke

Craft beer in Japan didn’t come about until approximately 25 years ago. Until 1994, Japanese laws required that a place needed to be able to produce at least 2 million liters of beer each year in order to acquire a license. As craft beer is produced in smaller batches, it...[ Click to read more ]

Best Foreign Restaurants in Kobe

By Justin Hanus

Kobe has plenty to offer foodies who like nothing more than a spot of sampling the culinary delights in a city's best restaurants. As well as having a wide variety of local Japanese eateries, Kobe also has plenty of foreign and international restaurants and cafes for those who want a...[ Click to read more ]

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Diving into Hiroshima’s Sakes

Apr 23, 2019 By Matt Mangham

If you’ve only recently moved to Hiroshima, you may not yet be aware that you are in one of Japan’s three great centers for sake production, the other two being in Kobe and Kyoto. Of the three, Hiroshima is both the youngest and, by some metrics, the most innovative. Until...[ Click to read more ]

Cinco de Mayo Festival and Mexican Restaurants in Tokyo

Apr 19, 2019 By Bert Wishart

Cinco de Mayo, while originally a commemoration of an unlikely victory for the Mexican Army against the then powerful French in 1862, has in the US become something of a large celebration for all things Mexico. As these things tend to go, Japan has taken the American interpretation of the holiday, and...[ Click to read more ]

Best Traditional Japanese Restaurants in Kansai

Apr 15, 2019 By Justin Hanus

Japan takes its food very seriously and Japanese cuisine is diverse as well as being among the healthiest in the world. For those in the Kansai region looking to indulge in some traditional Japanese cooking, there is no shortage of options – from sushi to teppanyaki to haute cuisine to...[ Click to read more ]

Ten Nagoya Suggestions for the Ten Days of Golden Week (Part Two)

Mar 28, 2019 By Bert Wishart

You may have noticed, that people are starting to get excited about Golden Week. Of course, people always get excited around Golden Week, when public holidays combine to make an extended block of time off, but this year it's even better! With Emperor Akihito abdicating this year, another holiday has been...[ Click to read more ]

Ten Nagoya Suggestions for the Ten Days of Golden Week (Part One)

By Bert Wishart

You may have noticed, that people are starting to get excited about Golden Week. Of course, people always get excited around Golden Week, when some public holidays combine to make an extended block of time off, but this year it's even better. With Emperor Akihito abdicating this year, another holiday...[ Click to read more ]

Great Bars in Kobe

Mar 22, 2019 By Justin Hanus

Kobe has a vibrant nightlife and bar scene that while perhaps not being as busy or diverse as nearby Osaka, keeps locals and visitors entertained. Within the city you can find everything from chilled pubs to late night jazz bars and local joints to international themed bars. So whether you're...[ Click to read more ]

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