Ukai Cormorant Fishing in Gifu and Aichi

Apr 22, 2018 By Bert Wishart

Whether your fish comes from the supermarket or you are a master fisherman who has trawled the seven seas, it is unlikely that you have ever witnessed anything quite like 'ukai' cormorant fishing. What is Ukai? Ukai is an ancient form of fishing in which master fishermen, 'ushō', use trained...[ Click to read more ]

Sanja Matsuri, Tokyo’s Wildest Festival

Apr 20, 2018 By Bert Wishart

Tokyo has many festivals, and particularly as we head towards the summer months they will be coming thick and fast. But none are quite so wild as Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa. The History of Sanja Matsuri On the morning of March 18, 628 CE, so the story goes, two fisherman brothers, Hinokuma...[ Click to read more ]

Tokyo Summer Sumo Basho 2018

Apr 17, 2018 By Justin Hanus

Out of the six annual grand tournaments of sumo wrestling, Tokyo hosts three.  Of those the Tokyo Summer Sumo Basho in May in particular is an experience like none other! For fifteen days all levels of athletes show up and hope to advance along in the tournament, while their fans...[ Click to read more ]

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Thai Festival in Tokyo

Apr 10, 2018 By

The annual Thai Festival in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park is a great place to find excellent Thai food, as well as enjoy a diverse stage schedule including martial arts demonstrations, musicians, dancers, and artists.   The festival's main selling point is Thai food and drink, in copious quantities, prepared by virtually every...[ 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 ]

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Must See Shrines and Temples of Tokyo

By Bert Wishart

Many of Japan's most famous shrines and temples are in the old capital of Kyoto. Tokyo, while not as historic as the city it replaced as the nation's social and economic base, still has plenty of beautiful and important shrines and temples - hundreds even. Below is a selection of our top...[ Click to read more ]

Your tour of the regions of Japan begins under the tracks of Akihabara

Mar 26, 2018 By Jason Gatewood

Of course you know what Tokyo’s Akihabara district is known for: electronics, video games, anime and manga shops, maid cafes, and anything else that would make a nerd, geek, weeaboo and "technojapanophile" drool. Since I fit into lots of these categories, I tend to visit the area once a month...[ Click to read more ]

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Island Hopping on the Seto Inland Sea near Hiroshima

By Matt Mangham

If you find yourself in Hiroshima or the surrounding area for any length of time, you really should set aside a day or two to explore the Seto Inland Sea. It’s not uncommon for people to live in the city for years, within sight of the Inland Sea and its...[ Click to read more ]

Hiroshima’s Onomichi Minato Festival

By Matt Mangham

Onomichi has long been one of my own family’s favorite day-trip destinations in Hiroshima prefecture. Time after time, this little port city continues to charm, from the slightly down-at-heel shopping arcade stretching along much of the waterfront to the wonderful maze of narrow passages that wind up and down the...[ Click to read more ]

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Flower Parks of the Sera District of Hiroshima

By Matt Mangham

For many people, spring really only means flowers, and plenty of them. Some of us can get all we need from a lazy afternoon or two under the cherry blossoms. But if that has only whetted your appetite for spring color after the long, bleak winter, then Hiroshima Prefecture’s Sera...[ Click to read more ]