Let’s Tour Tokyo: Kichijoji
Jun 26, 2018 By Jason Gatewood
It’s been awhile since I last introduced a part of Tokyo you may not be so familiar with, so this time we’ll head westward from Shinjuku to visit the Kichijoji (吉祥寺) district. This area is centered around the junction of the JR Chuo Line and Keio Inokashira Line at its...[ Click to read more ]
Rock (Climbing) And Roll – Bouldering in Nagoya
By Bert Wishart
Every now and again something pops up in the zeitgeist that comes right out of left field. Some of these things are fads that slip away as quickly as they came (remember twerking? No, probably not), but some things just seem to not only hang around, but absolutely explode. One...[ Click to read more ]
Dive in Kobe Places to Swim this Summer
Jun 24, 2018 By Justin Hanus
With temperatures rising for the summer it can be easy to resort to staying inside as often as possible. Though the air conditioning at home might be necessary sometimes, for Kobe residents and visitors, there are a multitude of other ways to stay cool while also getting out of the...[ Click to read more ]
Earthquake Preparedness in Japan
Jun 14, 2018 By First Admin
Japan is among the world's most seismically active countries, which means that earthquakes are a relatively common occurrence. Small tremors are usually felt in some part of the country everyday, and there have been several big quakes in the last few years resulting in damage and deaths. While the damage...[ Click to read more ]
Measuring Room Sizes in Japan
Jun 10, 2018 By First Admin
Some of us have been brought up on feet and inches, while some know only meters, centimeters and millimeters. If you live in Japan, you also need to develop a new skill when it comes to measuring areas, as Japan has its own unique measuring system brought down from ancient...[ Click to read more ]
Get Your Grill On – Nagoya’s BBQ Spots
May 29, 2018 By Bert Wishart
The Japanese have something of a love/hate relationship with the summer months. As soon as the mercury climbs above 25 degrees, women break out the parasols, curtains are pulled tight to keep out sunlight, and everyone’s vocabulary is limited to a single word: atsui (hot!). But that is not to say...[ Click to read more ]
Japanese Classes in Kobe
By Justin Hanus
If you've recently moved to Japan, you might be thinking about learning the language to help you communicate with the locals and understand the culture. Of course, there are plenty of online courses and 'learn Japanese' book/CD packages but there's nothing like a bit of face-to-face learning in a local...[ Click to read more ]
Getting Up Close and Personal at Nagoya’s Sumo Stables
By Bert Wishart
The sumo season centers around six fifteen-day major competitions, or 'honbasho', throughout the year, with three events held in Tokyo in January, May and September, one in March in Osaka, one in Fukuoka in November, and July sees the Nagoya Basho. The honbasho - literally 'real tournament' - are of...[ Click to read more ]
Getting Away in Japan: Kanagawa
By Bert Wishart
Though Kanagawa Prefecture is often dismissed as 'that bit next to Tokyo', you shouldn't let its relatively small stature when compared to its glamorous neighbor fool you; from bright city lights, beautiful nature and a long, celebrated history, there is a whole lot to see and do in Kanagawa. Yokohama...[ Click to read more ]
Rice Planting Events in Hiroshima
By Matt Mangham
I always recommend venturing out of the city if you can. Rural Hiroshima Prefecture is a knockout, and this is a wonderful time of year. The spring foliage still shows its fresh, pale green on the hills, and the worst of the summer heat is weeks away. Most of the...[ Click to read more ]
