You Spin Me Right Round! Exploring Tokyo’s Record Stores
May 26, 2021 By Bert Wishart
The modern music industry is well and truly established in the digital world. Most people access their favorite artists now through Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Soundcloud, but there has also been an unexpected boom in analog music. According to Forbes, vinyl sales have grown 260 percent since 2009, and...[ Click to read more ]
Best Ice Cream shops in Tokyo
By Jason Gatewood
Summertime in the Metropolis gets really hot and humid, bordering what you’d find in many subtropical locations. While it’s easy to find relief in the form of sitting underneath the aircon at home, having a one-hour go on the Yamanote Line’s new trains (whilst avoiding the “weak air-conditioned car!), or...[ Click to read more ]
The JR East Railway Museum: See Japan’s History Move on Wheels of Steel
By Jason Gatewood
A good many visitors to Japan have been known to utter out loud, “there sure are a lot of trains in Japan!” …And they wouldn’t be wrong! We happen to have the world’s highest per capita train ridership and are home to The world’s busiest station as well. It is not an overstatement...[ Click to read more ]
Romancing the rails at Odakyu’s Romancecar Museum
Apr 25, 2021 By Jason Gatewood
It's an open secret that one of the reasons I enjoy living in Japan is that public transportation is held in high regard and promoted by the people as a matter of social, security, and cultural importance. Most people think of the Shinkansen "bullet train" network of high-speed rail routes,...[ Click to read more ]
Flying High in Minato-Mirai
Apr 23, 2021 By Jason Gatewood
The concept of a gondola in an urban setting isn’t new; they serve as high-speed transport options in places like Bogota, Colombia, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There was even a plan to build one to connect the main Olympic venues in Odaiba with Tokyo station and another connecting Tokyo...[ Click to read more ]
Tokyo’s Five Teams of Summer: Baseball in Kanto
Mar 27, 2021 By Jason Gatewood
Japan is a modern-day mecca of sports, having hosted several tournaments in the past and being the hosts of the upcoming World Rugby Cup this fall and the 2020 Summer Games. Answering the question, "what sports do you follow" with soccer or rugby will get you into a long conversation...[ Click to read more ]
Infinity Books is the calming oasis from the hustle-and-bustle you didn’t know you needed.
Mar 24, 2021 By Jason Gatewood
We’ve done plenty of articles about places and festivals in and around the Asakusa district, usually reinforcing its position as the nexus of historical Tokyo, from the landmark shrine Sensō-Ji and its well-known lantern gate Kaminarimon, to the many winding shopping alleys that emanate like spider webs outward from the...[ Click to read more ]
Mountain Biking in Japan
Mar 21, 2021 By Bert Wishart
Being such a mountainous country, Japan is a fantastic place to go mountain biking. There are excellent spots at which you can hop on a bike and fly down a trail right across the land. Whether you are into downhill, dirt jumps, freeride or cross country, a beginner (like me),...[ Click to read more ]
Tokyo’s Best Burgers
Feb 13, 2021 By Bert Wishart
Japan is well known for having some of the world's finest cuisine, and living in the capital means that you have a great opportunity to try some of the best it has to offer. However, sometimes you find yourself jonesing for a taste of home. What better to scratch that...[ Click to read more ]
Get Cycling in Tokyo
Feb 12, 2021 By Bert Wishart
When living in and around a sprawling metropolis such as Tokyo, getting from A to B can mean that you spend half of your day on trains, underground, or busses. Since the advent of smartphones, most of this time is gazing into a screen, meaning that you often miss out...[ Click to read more ]
