Nakano Broadway: Tokyo’s “other Akihabara”
Dec 26, 2017 By Jason Gatewood
No matter how you slice it, Tokyo's modern image is the stuff of cyberpunk dreams. We are the city of giant robots, iron gollums, and Godzilla. So of course most people's image of "Cool Japan" is found in Akihabara, our city's major electronics district and hub of all things anime...[ Click to read more ]
Tokyo Antique Jamboree
Dec 21, 2017 By Ray Proper
[caption id="attachment_34343" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Tokyo Big Sight[/caption] The largest antique event in Japan, the Tokyo Antique Jamboree, is an annual event with as many as 500 vendors from all over Japan selling a variety of items with different tastes and styles; including both Japanese and western antiques. The event is...[ Click to read more ]
Babysitting Services in Tokyo
Dec 18, 2017 By
Babysitting was not a "thing" here, generally, until somewhat recently. Traditionally in Japan the woman stays home while the man works, while families lived with their parents and extended families much more often, thus lessening the need for a stranger to come into the home. Over time all of these...[ Click to read more ]
Destination Tokyo – Free eBook by Relo Japan
Dec 08, 2017 By Admin
Relo Japan is proud to bring you “Destination Tokyo,” a special digital guide that incorporates inside knowledge of Tokyo from the view of an expatriate. This invaluable resource has everything you need to know about living and working in Tokyo, including: Where to live Where to shop What to see...[ Click to read more ]
New Year’s Countdown Tokyo Style 2017
Nov 29, 2017 By Jason Gatewood
[caption id="attachment_33936" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Revelers await the coming new year as time ticks down on the video monitors above Shibuya Crossing. (Dick Thomas Johnson via Flickr)[/caption] Whoa, can you believe it? Another year is almost on its way out and as always, your ever faithful JIS staff are here to...[ Click to read more ]
Super Sento and the art of relaxation in Tokyo
By Jason Gatewood
It's no secret that Japan is one of the most seismically active places on Earth. But this is also a good thing when you take one of the country's most valuable assets into consideration: the Onsen, which is Japanese for hot spring. You can find hot springs all over Japan,...[ Click to read more ]
Kansai’s Pivotal Role in Japanese Folk Rock
Nov 21, 2017 By Justin Hanus
The 1960s have been immortalized as a time of cultural revolution in places like the United States and Europe. If anything the disruption was even greater in Japanese society. The country was awash in American culture after a generation of United States military influence in the years after World War...[ Click to read more ]
Fratelli Paradiso: Great Italian Food in Omotesando Hills
Oct 27, 2017 By Admin
In 2001 'Fratelli Paradiso opened the doors in Potts Point, Sydney, Australia, where it is a staple of the Sydney food scene due to its consistently good Italian food and inimitable hospitality. The Omotesando shop itself is unpretentious and relaxed. You will find a handwritten menu on the black chalkboard and artists,...[ Click to read more ]
Tokyo’s Jazz Scene
Aug 30, 2017 By Bert Wishart
When you think of music in Japan it is hard to get past the impression of super-cutesy J-Pop idols, adorably non-threatening ever-expanding boy bands, and the bright preposterous-ness of the gravity-defying-haired Visual Kei bands. However, scratch past that (admittedly thick and ubiquitous) surface and you will find in Tokyo a varied...[ Click to read more ]
Tokyo’s Alternative, and More Interesting, Beer Gardens
Aug 24, 2017 By Bert Wishart
[caption id="attachment_33163" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Summer Nights at Yoyogi Village Beer Terrace[/caption] It could be argued (by me at least) that one of the greatest things on Earth is sitting outside on a warm day with an ice cold beer. Thankfully the city of Tokyo is blessed with a plethora of beer...[ Click to read more ]
