International Festival of Extreme Sports
Mar 26, 2019 By Matt Mangham
For three days in April, downtown Hiroshima will take on a new vibe as crowds of breakdancers, freestyle BMX riders, parkour players and other extreme athletes converge on the site of the former municipal stadium just north of Peace Park for FISE Hiroshima. FISE, which stands for Festival International des...[ Click to read more ]
Planning Your Visit to a Sumo-Beya
Mar 22, 2019 By Justin Hanus
Attending a match at a sumo tournament is just one way to experience real-life sumo. Another is to visit a sumo stable (or sumo-beya) where professional wrestlers live and train. In fact, visiting a sumo-beya will give you a better understanding of the culture of wrestling. Plus, as tournaments are...[ Click to read more ]
Good Places to Meet Expats in Kobe
By Justin Hanus
With around 44,000 foreign nationals living in the city, Kobe has a sizeable expat community that includes many Americans and other English-speaking residents. The city has many international bars, nightspots, and venues where you can go and meet other expats as well as a few clubs, organizations and facilities geared...[ Click to read more ]
Iwate’s Great Buddha of Morioka
By Jade Brischke
Nara has one 15m high, Kamakura has one 13m high, and the city of Morioka, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, has one 10m high...What am I talking about? A Daibutsu (大仏), or Big Buddha, of course! It comes as quite a surprise that a city not typically on the tourist...[ Click to read more ]
Yamathon – Walking Around Tokyo, Saving Lives
Mar 20, 2019 By Bert Wishart
The Yamathon is a fundraising challenge where teams of three or four people compete to walk or run through Tokyo visiting all 29 stations of the famous JR Yamanote train line in under 12 hours. [spacer height="5px"] They say that charity begins at home, and if your home is in...[ Click to read more ]
Pollen Allergies in Japan
By Ray Proper
The proportion of people who have problems with allergies in Japan is startlingly high. People who suffer from allergies will suffer severe reactions from the pollen such as: Nasal congestion Sneezing Cough Watery eyes Runny nose Scratchy throat The most common culprit for producing allergy symptoms in Japan is the...[ Click to read more ]
Going cashless in Japan
Feb 28, 2019 By Jason Gatewood
Almost 20 years ago in order to prepare for my first trip to Japan I was advised by my travel agent as well as my cousin who resided here already that I needed to bring plenty of cash and traveler’s cheques (remember those?) with me because Japan doesn’t do credit...[ Click to read more ]
How to use Public Sports Facilities in Tokyo
By Jason Gatewood
Staying in shape in a big city like Tokyo can be a chore sometimes; I myself am a big fan of running and biking outdoors, and sometimes it seems cars and bad traffic along with the sometimes extreme weather can have me sidelined for days, sometimes weeks without getting my...[ Click to read more ]
Arima Onsen: Come On In, the Water’s Fine
Feb 25, 2019 By Justin Hanus
The mapmakers say Arima Onsen is a part of Kobe but it is way on the other side of Mount Rokko and is thus a world unto itself. And people have been making their way to this unique world for almost 1400 years, drawn to the magical powers of its...[ Click to read more ]
Charity Groups and Events in Tokyo
Feb 20, 2019 By Ray Proper
Tokyo is one of the most populous cities in the world, by some measures, the most populous. While all those people take some getting used to, think "crowded rush hour trains" for example, all those mouths create a market of impressive options as well, from the variety and quality...[ Click to read more ]
