Top 5 Irish Pubs in Tokyo
Feb 21, 2017 By Justin Hanus
If you’re looking for some fun and festive ways to get into the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day this March, Tokyo’s got you covered! Don’t want to wait until the 17th to celebrate? Why not check out one of these Irish Pubs, where it can be St. Patrick’s Day all...[ Click to read more ]
The Wheels Are Turning at Cycle Mode Ride Osaka
By Justin Hanus
Japan largely missed out on the first bicycle boom of the 1880s and 1890s but when the bicycle became hot again in the 1960s and 1970s - mostly for recreational and fitness desires - the country was not about to be left on the side of the road. Japan zoomed...[ Click to read more ]
All Aboard the Sushi Train in Hiroshima!
Feb 20, 2017 By Jade Brischke
Ah, sushi! Nothing says Japan more than these tasty morsels of fish on rice. High quality sushi may be out of the average person's (or family's) price range but that doesn't mean you should miss out. The solution: kaitenzushi or what we Westerners often refer to as sushi train or...[ Click to read more ]
Making ‘Memories’ in Hiroshima at Memories Live House
Feb 14, 2017 By Jade Brischke
If you're a child of the 50s or 60s or you just like the music, fashion and decor of that time, then a night out at 'Memories,' in Hiroshima is just the thing for you. Located in a basement, it's in the building next to Hiroshima Higashi Police Station on Chuo-Dori...[ Click to read more ]
Sweet on You – Getting Valentine’s Chocolates in Tokyo
By Bert Wishart
Back home things can get a little crazy around Valentine's Day. Grandiose displays of affection have become something of the norm, as we shower our loved ones with extravagant gifts, often at exorbitant prices, presumably just as the martyred St. Valentine would have wanted. In Japan, however, somewhat unusual for a nation...[ Click to read more ]
Plum Blossom Viewing in Nagoya – Top Umemi Spots!
Jan 27, 2017 By Admin
Ume is not just half of an "umeshu," a Japanese liqueur made from unripe and green ume fruits. It is quite a lovely tree. "Prunus mume" is the tree species more commonly referred to as a Chinese plum or Japanese apricot tree. The tree produces a delicious fruit usually referred...[ Click to read more ]
Kobe’s International Cuisine Tour
Jan 23, 2017 By Justin Hanus
Although Kobe’s Chinatown is a major international attractor to the city, Chinese isn’t the only cultural influence worth exploring in this Kansai metropolis. Being a popular port city has brought a diverse array of international cultures to Kobe, and one of the best ways to experience this diversity is through...[ Click to read more ]
Kobe Takes the Lead In Japanese Fashion
By Justin Hanus
It was the late 1800s when promotionally minded French dress designers began hiring women to wear their latest creations to high-profile public events like parades and horse races right on the streets of Paris. It was not long before retailers in New York brought the concept with them back to...[ Click to read more ]
Ritualistic Ceremonies Could Be Your Cup of Tea in Kobe
By Justin Hanus
In Japan you can enjoy a cup of tea or you can immerse yourself in Japan's Way of Tea, a ritualistic tradition that focuses on the way green tea is prepared and presented. Japan came relatively late to tea, first enjoying the hot beverage in the 9th century. China, it...[ Click to read more ]
Land of the Rising Sun is No Mere Slogan
By Justin Hanus
The "Land of the Rising Sun" is not just a catchy marketing slogan drummed up by the Japan tourism bureau. In fact the slogan is not even of Japanese origin, but Chinese. Centuries ago the Chinese began referring to the Japanese islands as the place where the sun comes from....[ Click to read more ]
