Calling 119 for Emergency Assistance in Japan
Jan 20, 2022 By Ray Proper
Dial 119 for the fire department or medical services Dial 110 for police 119 in Japan is a direct-dial-free emergency number that connects the caller to fire and emergency medical services from any phone. Unlike emergency number services in many other countries, the 119 system in Japan only connects to...[ Click to read more ]
Noodling about: Nagoya’s Ramen Discoveries
Jan 13, 2022 By Bert Wishart
When I first came to Japan, I answered the standard "what Japanese food do you like?" question with "I absolutely love ramen!" I wasn't sure why I was typically met with a look of disappointment, as if I had let them down in some way. It took me a few...[ Click to read more ]
Japan’s Alcohol-Free Beer-volution in Nagoya
Dec 31, 2021 By Bert Wishart
Japan is, it's pretty safe to say, something of a boozy country. Whether social events, ceremonies or even work, most milestones are marked with a nomikai [drinking party] and a kanpai [cheers]. This is all well and good if you enjoy a tipple, but for many people - those who...[ Click to read more ]
Osu Street Eats – Where to Get Osu’s Best Street Food
By Bert Wishart
To my surprise, upon my arrival, unlike many Asian nations, Japan does not have a street food culture. I have spent time crouching on street corners eating curry in Thailand and pho in Vietnam. I have wandered Indian streets, munching pakora and gobbled soft crabs from paper bags strolling through...[ 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 ]
Visit UNESCO Sites Galore and More in Historical Shingu
Nov 30, 2021 By Bert Wishart
Some people travel around the world to visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Some people will never visit one in their entire life. But with a single trip to Shingu in Wakayama Prefecture, you can be surrounded by them all day! About Shingu Situated near the southern tip of the Kii...[ Click to read more ]
Gorging on Gifu Grub
By Bert Wishart
Aichi Prefecture - and Nagoya in particular - has some of the best of Japanese cuisine. From its miso katsu to its tebasaki to its Taiwan ramen, very few areas in Japan can beat it. But did you know that just across the border in Gifu Prefecture, too, you can...[ 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 ]
Do You Know Nags? Nagoya’s Hidden Gems – Part 5
By Bert Wishart
Whether you're fresh in town or are a piece of the local furniture, Nagoya is a city that continuously throws up surprises. New restaurants, shops, and bars spring up all the time, and you can be wandering down an oft-trodden street and come across something that you've never come across...[ Click to read more ]
