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 ]
Experience a Taste of Traditional Japan at a Tokyo Ryokan Guesthouses
Jul 18, 2017 By Bert Wishart
Sometimes, when living in the capital, it can be easy to get wrapped up in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of globalization. Of course there are neon kanji signs flashing wherever you look, but you are never far away from a Starbucks, a McDonalds, an Italian restaurant or an Irish bar. In...[ Click to read more ]
English Language Yoga Classes in Tokyo
Jun 29, 2017 By Bert Wishart
With its combination of strength, stamina and flexibility, there are very few forms of exercise that gets your body into peak physical fitness like yoga. Having originated in India, the discipline has spread throughout the world and it continues to grow in popularity, with one 2016 study showing that 20.4...[ Click to read more ]
Disposal of Large Garbage and Electrical Items in Tokyo
Jun 12, 2017 By
First, contact your ward’s disposal office to make a reservation for the collection of your items. Please note that there will be a small fee for the disposal of these items. Large Garbage Items that are approximately 30 cm X 30 cm X 30 cm or larger (i.e. furniture, bedding etc.)....[ Click to read more ]
Sanno Matsuri, One of Tokyo’s Three Most Important Festivals
May 30, 2017 By Bert Wishart
When it comes to festivals (matsuri), nothing can quite beat Japan in the summer. Pretty much every town and city will have one, and Tokyo, being the cultural (and pretty much geographical) epicenter of the country, has more than its fair share. One of the capital's three most important matsuri...[ Click to read more ]
