Popular All-You-Can-Eat Restaurants in Kobe
Nov 29, 2024 By Justin Hanus
Food is always part of travelling and venturing into new places. Even if you’re not a big foodie, sampling new cuisine is a way to learn more about where you are. Eating out at restaurants can be a big part of the itinerary when you travel or move abroad. A...[ Click to read more ]
Christmas in Kumamoto
By Justin Hanus
There are many ways expats feeling homesick for Christmas can get into the festive spirit in Kumamoto. Although Christmas is not an official holiday in Japan, Kumamoto is one of many cities in the country that acknowledges the festival with events and light displays. Christmas in Japan Japan is not...[ Click to read more ]
Hatsumode in Hiroshima – Shrines to Visit for New Years and the Tondo Festival
By Hugh Cann
There are two main traditions marking the beginning of the new year in Hiroshima. Hatsumōde is the first visit of the year to a shrine and takes place throughout Japan. Later in the month is the Tondo Festival, which is just in Hiroshima. Hatsumōde The first visit of the year...[ Click to read more ]
New Year Celebrations in Kansai
By Justin Hanus
New Year (Shogatsu) is a time for big celebration in Japan. Seen as a period of cleansing and renewal as well as an opportunity to welcome in the New Year, festivities tend to last from January 1-3, with many people taking this period off work. There are various ways to...[ Click to read more ]
Buying Holiday Decorations, Wrapping Paper, and Lights in Nagoya
By Ray Proper
Holidays in Japan are bright and colorful affairs, and Nagoya is no exception to this rule. If you are looking for decorations, lights, or other holiday materials there are a few good sources you should know about. Costco (Wholesale Warehouse) If you have a lot of gifts to wrap, you will...[ Click to read more ]
Winter Illumination in Nagoya
Nov 28, 2024 By Ray Proper
Christmas Day in Japan is just another working day, for the most part. The most exciting facet of the Christmas and holiday season in Japan is that all traces of it are gone by morning on December 26. Without fail, every bell, light, garland, and decoration will come down, and...[ Click to read more ]
A Driving Obsession – Where to Play Golf in Hiroshima
By Hugh Cann
The history of golf in Japan stretches back more than a century. The country’s first golf club was established in Kobe by a group of British expats way back in 1903, and the Japan Golf Association was set up one hundred years ago in 1924. Japan’s “golf boom” came in...[ Click to read more ]
Great Shrines for Hatsumode in Kumamoto
Nov 27, 2024 By Justin Hanus
The turn of the year is holiday time in Japan. People are off work to celebrate the New Year with parties, family gatherings, culinary feasts, and hatsumode. Hatsumode is the year’s first visit to a Shinto shrine (or sometimes a Buddhist temple). It is traditionally made between January 1st and...[ Click to read more ]
Snow is Here, Get Your Gear: Ski and Snowboard Shops in Nagoya
By Bert Wishart
As an avid cyclist who rides daily for their commute, I tend to fear the winter months. Nothing does for the motivation like the icy wind biting at your fingers, nose, and toes. But there is one bright side because, as I ride deeper and deeper into Gifu each morning...[ Click to read more ]
The Tokyo International Film Festival
Oct 31, 2024 By William Farrow
It is no surprise that the country of legendary and lasting film directors like Akira Kurosawa, Ishiro Honda and Yasujiro Oz would have an international film festival. As of 2024, the Tokyo International Film Festival is on its 37th run and will be held from October 28th until November 6th....[ Click to read more ]
