The Best Parks in Kobe
May 23, 2018 By Justin Hanus
Kobe is not short of green spaces offering residents and tourists the chance to get out and soak up the great outdoors. Whether you're a sports enthusiast looking for somewhere to play or just after a nice setting for an ambient stroll, the city has a good mix of everything...[ Click to read more ]
Hakone and The Old Tokaido Road
Apr 26, 2018 By Jason Gatewood
Hakone is usually more synonymous with skiing or being a jumping off point for tours to Mt. Fuji but it’s actually a great place to check out almost anytime of the year since it’s easily accessible by way of the Odakyu Line or many direct express buses. Of the many...[ Click to read more ]
Smoking Alternatives in Japan for World No Tobacco Day
Apr 23, 2018 By Bert Wishart
While in some areas such as AI, robotics and technology Japan is considered very much an advanced nation, there are some areas in which the country remains in the dark ages. A prime example of this is its attitude towards smoking. While in much of the developed world, lighting up...[ Click to read more ]
Ukai Cormorant Fishing in Gifu and Aichi
Apr 22, 2018 By Bert Wishart
Whether your fish comes from the supermarket or you are a master fisherman who has trawled the seven seas, it is unlikely that you have ever witnessed anything quite like 'ukai' cormorant fishing. What is Ukai? Ukai is an ancient form of fishing in which master fishermen, 'ushō', use trained...[ Click to read more ]
Tokyo Summer Sumo Basho 2018
Apr 17, 2018 By Justin Hanus
Out of the six annual grand tournaments of sumo wrestling, Tokyo hosts three. Of those the Tokyo Summer Sumo Basho in May in particular is an experience like none other! For fifteen days all levels of athletes show up and hope to advance along in the tournament, while their fans...[ Click to read more ]
Flower Parks of the Sera District of Hiroshima
Mar 26, 2018 By Matt Mangham
For many people, spring really only means flowers, and plenty of them. Some of us can get all we need from a lazy afternoon or two under the cherry blossoms. But if that has only whetted your appetite for spring color after the long, bleak winter, then Hiroshima Prefecture’s Sera...[ Click to read more ]
Grocery Delivery Services In Tokyo
By Jason Gatewood
When I moved to Tokyo proper last year, I made sure to position myself in between two 24 hour grocery stores so even if I’ve run out of sugar at 3 am, I can take care of it. That extremely rare condition notwithstanding, the bigger reason is that I tend...[ Click to read more ]
8 Most Popular Hiking Tours in the Kansai Region
Mar 23, 2018 By Justin Hanus
One of the best ways to enjoy a new place is to walk around and visit the attractions. But if you’re up for adventures that take hours of marveling beautiful landscapes and historical sites, it calls for leisurely hikes along popular trails and pilgrimage routes. Many countries boast of the...[ Click to read more ]
Sake’ing it to ya, at the Nayabashi Sake Festival in Ngaoya
Feb 26, 2018 By Bert Wishart
Forget Asahi, Kirin or Strong Zero, there can be no doubt that the national drink of Japan is sake. ‘Nihonshu’, to give it its proper title (with ‘sake’ being a term to cover all alcoholic drinks), has been the main tipple of choice in these parts since the Nara period (710 to 794),...[ Click to read more ]
Mother’s Farm: Mountaintop Petting Zoo and More in Chiba Prefecture
Feb 21, 2018 By Jason Gatewood
Ok, that may have been a bit of an over-simplification. Mother Farm (マザー牧場) is an expansive working entertainment farm that is located in the Chiba’s central Boso Peninsula countryside sitting 300m atop Mt. Kanozan. All of these qualities comebine to create the perfect outing for those wanting to getaway from...[ Click to read more ]
