Getting to know you: Osu, Nagoya
Feb 26, 2017 By Bert Wishart
Between Nagoya's central transport area of Meieki (Nagoya Station) in the west, and the lively shopping and commerce hub of Sakae in the east lies Osu, one of the city's more interesting and eclectic areas. Centered around its covered shopping arcade, Osu has an atmosphere similar to Tokyo's Harajuku, with aging hippies happily rubbing shoulders with...[ Click to read more ]
Nagoya’s Best Bicycle Shops
Feb 24, 2017 By Bert Wishart
Nagoya, with its wide roads and ample cycle paths, is a marvelous city to cycle around, so it is such a shame that so many people choose to clog up the sidewalks with their 'mamachari' bicycles. According to the Japanese National Police Agency, there were 71.551 million bicycles in Japan in...[ Click to read more ]
Sweet on You – Getting Valentine’s Chocolates in Tokyo
Feb 14, 2017 By Bert Wishart
Back home things can get a little crazy around Valentine's Day. Grandiose displays of affection have become something of the norm, as we shower our loved ones with extravagant gifts, often at exorbitant prices, presumably just as the martyred St. Valentine would have wanted. In Japan, however, somewhat unusual for a nation...[ Click to read more ]
SUNMALL: The essential Hiroshima Shopping Experience
Sep 14, 2016 By Jade Brischke
SUNMALL… oh where to begin with this gem of a place located right in Hondori, in downtown Hiroshima. SUNMALL is best described as five levels of some of the most diverse, quirky and interesting shops that Hiroshima has to offer. No matter what your tastes are, you are sure to...[ Click to read more ]
Brazil in Aichi – Getting the Best Brazilian Food Around
Apr 12, 2016 By Bert Wishart
If for some reason you are unable to make it to the Brazilian festival in Hisayaodori this month, there is no reason for not gorging yourself on amazing Brazilian food, as there are plenty of places in the area to get it. Aichi's Brazilian Community Aichi Prefecture has quite a large...[ Click to read more ]
Eating Organic in Tokyo
Feb 26, 2016 By Bert Wishart
As we have perhaps made abundantly clear in these pages over the years, Japan is very much a nation of foodies. I can honestly say, having visited dozens of countries around the world and having lived in five countries on four different continents, no nation that I know of is...[ Click to read more ]
SIM-only Mobile Phone Service in Japan
Dec 07, 2015 By Admin
Interested in low-cost SIM-only mobile communications services provided by companies called MVNOs (or Mobile Virtual Network Operators)? These services, which use the infrastructure of the big mobile networks, are growing in popularity due to the huge difference in the monthly cost when compared to Softbank, Docomo, and au, whose business...[ Click to read more ]
Getting to know you: Sakae, Nagoya
Nov 25, 2015 By Bert Wishart
Sakae is essentially Nagoya's city center in everything but name and is one of the busiest parts of town. It is famous for its vibrancy, drawing people from all over the region on weekends. By day the area is a coruscating hub of people shopping in the various department stores while at night...[ Click to read more ]
Noritake Garden – Nagoya’s Ceramic Star
Feb 27, 2015 By Bert Wishart
Aichi is well known as a centre of Japanese industry, but what is less well known is that it is also the birthplace of one of the world’s leading ceramic dinnerware "china" brands, Noritake. In Japan the word Noritake evokes images of high quality and prestige, it is to Japan what Wedgwood is to England....[ Click to read more ]
Toy Shopping in Nagoya
Oct 28, 2014 By Bert Wishart
So November is here and, for the more prepared of you, that means its time to get the Christmas presents sorted, particularly finding this year’s must-have toys for your kids. While you can still order G.I. Joes and Barbies from online stores back home you may find that your child’s...[ Click to read more ]
