Hamamatsu, an Eel-y Nice Place to Visit!
Sep 28, 2021 By Bert Wishart
If you live in Nagoya, there is a good chance you already know about hitsumabushi. Many of the locals consider this dish of flame-grilled unagi [freshwater eel], slit from the belly, cooked in sauce, and served on a bed of rice to be an essential part of Nagoya's cuisine. At...[ Click to read more ]
Autumn Food in Nagoya
By Bert Wishart
Ask any Japanese what their favorite season is (there are four seasons in Japan, as you may have heard), and there is a strong chance that they will tell you that it's autumn because the weather is beautiful once the typhoons have passed, and the food. Unlike in the UK and...[ Click to read more ]
You’d Batter Believe it! Nagoya’s Okonomiyaki and Monjayaki Restaurants
Aug 31, 2021 By Bert Wishart
Sometimes called Japanese pizza, alternatively Japanese pancakes, Okonomiyaki is a staple Japanese dish from the Kansai region - typically Osaka and Hiroshima - but has grown in such popularity that you can get it pretty much all over the country. A mix of batter (hence the pancake comparison), flavored with...[ Click to read more ]
Day Trips: Wakayama and the Kumano Kodo Trail (Easy)
By Bert Wishart
How many UNESCO Heritage sites do you think that you could fit in a day? One? Two? Three at the most? Well, if you visit Kumano Kodo in the southern Kansai region, then pretty much around every corner, you will see yet another sign pointing you in a UNESCO direction....[ Click to read more ]
Scouting in Nagoya
Aug 28, 2021 By Bert Wishart
When Lord Baden Powell published the first edition of 'Scouting for Boys, a guidebook of survival techniques he learned during the Second Boer War and adapted for Britain's youth, he sparked a worldwide phenomenon. Although the Scouting movement has become very different from what he may have imagined it to...[ Click to read more ]
Staying Safe During Typhoons and Storms in Japan
Aug 24, 2021 By Ray Proper
Typhoon season in Japan runs from June to December, but most typhoon activity occurs between July and September. The southern parts of Japan, such as Okinawa or Kagoshima, are particularly affected by these storms. Still, residents of any part of Japan are likely to experience one or more during their time...[ Click to read more ]
Tour de Nagoya – See Nagoya in a Day
Aug 23, 2021 By Bert Wishart
Summer is a time for cycling, with the Tour de France the world's most famous race. Of course, there is no equivalent in our fair city of Nagoya, so I thought I would come up with one. But this is not a superhuman challenge of endurance like 'le Tour,' but...[ Click to read more ]
Shopping Online in Japan – Internet Shopping!
Aug 21, 2021 By Ray Proper
You are not going to get complaints from me about living in Japan. I am generally happy here, but still, I prefer to use products and eat foods from my own country in many cases; decent peanut butter, for example. Maybe in your case, Vegemite? There are lots of products...[ Click to read more ]
Cycle Routes Near Nagoya
Jul 29, 2021 By Bert Wishart
With the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France already done and Vuelta e Espana soon to come, you may be feeling inspired to get on your road bike and put some kilometers in your legs. However, living in the middle of the city, you may feel like there is...[ Click to read more ]
Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology
Jul 27, 2021 By Bert Wishart
The Toyota Motor Organization is one of the keystones of Japan's world-renowned manufacturing industry, and since 1926, Toyota has been the byword for Japanese excellence and innovation. Much of this innovation took place right here in Aichi Prefecture, from the initial plant in the city that came to bear the...[ Click to read more ]
