Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

Search: japan

Visit the land of snow monsters

Collectively, we are so used to seeing Japan as squeaky clean streets, gracious and polite residents and - almost - not a hair out of place.  Cherry blossoms.  Mount Fuji.  Bullet trains.  Mind-blowing food. And, of course all of that is correct.  But there are some places in Japan that don't always bubble up to the…

Read more

But what will you do with all that time?

It won't be surprise if we say that Japan is one of the happiest and most welcoming countries in the world.  Its residents strive every day find happiness in even the little things.  But, some of the quiet islands take that ethos even further. Okinawa, Japan has highest congregation of  people over 100 years of…

Read more

Oiran Dochu

Oiran (花魁) is a word used to refer to the high-class prostitutes that worked in the Yoshiwara red-light district (Yoshiwara-Yukaku) during the Edo period. The Ichiyo Sakura Matsuri started in 2003 to preserve this piece of Edo history. It takes place along a 500m or so stretch of road with members in full Edo period dress…

Read more

No fun Kofun

Japan is a glorious place, with charming people and an endless supply of things to see and do. But, one of the most intriguing are the Mozu / Kofu burial tombs just outside of Osaka.  The only problem is that you can't actually see much of these marvels.  (Still worth visiting, though.) Although the iconic Mozu Tombs…

Read more

Be a better traveler

By default, just because you're reading this (and have visited our site,) we can assume that you're a smart, aware, thoughtful, curious and fun human being.  But, we always have room for improvement, it's safe to say.  The choices we make on the road can have a big impact on the people and places we encounter…

Read more

Spelunking in Tokyo

It's hard to believe, but there is the very slim chance that you might run out of activities when you're in Tokyo. You will have had to have combed the entire city of 13.96 million people, the 60,000+ restaurants, 6,000 different parks. (see some of our suggestions, below.) But, if all of that is not enough, watch…

Read more

Healthiest and happiest.

Residents of Okinawa are some of the world’s healthiest and happiest. Strong social networks and good food may be why. The island unlocked the secret to long life—and knows how to get through tough times. Read more here courtesy of NationalGeographic.com Booking.com Let 12go show you around Okinawa. Click above.

Read more

Where is Ultraman when you need him?

It is so nice to see when something actually means something to the people around it, and that they treasure it and preserve it. Especially when it is larger than life. Sendai Daikannon, officially known as the Sendai Tendou Byakue Daikannon, is a large statue of Byakue Kannon bearing a gem in her hand located…

Read more

300 kph kitty

Manga?  Man, go! Japan is a wonderous place of so many contrasts. Surgically-focused mega-corporations.  Almost unreal scenery.  Respectful and warm humans. And a Hello Kitty bullet train.  Never again will your commute be mundane.  You can even be the engineer - sort of. Enjoy the video below and experience it yourself.  Bullet trains in Japan are just…

Read more

Right, said Fred again

We've featured Fred. Olsen cruises here -  they're one of our affiliate friends.  One of the reasons we like them is that they seem to come from a different angle than other cruise lines - a little playful, a little artistic. They also travel to places that are not frequented by other cruise lines.  And, in…

Read more

Distinctive and immediately recognizable

The architecture of Japan is one of the things that sets the country apart from others. It's very distinctive and immediately recognizable, and something whose charm beckons out to many tourists. While in cities like Tokyo, where landscapes change continuously as older buildings give way to new and modern ones, there are areas where you can take a look…

Read more

Battleship holiday

Here's another article for those who have seen it before and have done it before. You’ve seen it in James Bond's Skyfall and all over the media. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ruins of Nagasaki Prefecture‘s abandoned Hashima Island, better known as Gunkanjima (or “Battleship Island”), has attracted attention for its post-apocalyptic appearance. Well,as you…

Read more

In my day, things weren’t like this

You think your job is tough?  Think the boss asks too much?   Well, suffer this poor guy, who works for Japanese Rail.  This almost looks like a joke at first.  But it's not.  They are deadly serious and that is something to reckon with. No wonder Japan is admired in so many ways.  But, don't mess up! See…

Read more

Passports of power

In the past, have you been able to waltz through airport customs like you owned the place, simply based on your nationality? Well, it might be time to check your ego, because the world is becoming a very different place (for the better, in our opinion.) Now a new Henley Passport Index, the original ranking…

Read more

It all comes out in the washi

Every summer, giant warriors roam the Japanese city of Aomori. Lit from within by lanterns, these formidable paper floats are the centerpiece of the Nebuta Matsuri, a weeklong evening festival in August and one of Japan’s biggest seasonal events. Accompanied by taiko drummers and dancers, the floats depict scenes from kabuki and Japanese mythology. Each…

Read more

ああ私の (Oh my)

If you feel like you have visited almost every place on earth, you might want to give this a try.  You can tour the Fukushima disaster zone - where the simultaneous, earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant melted down and devastated the Fukushima  area, and the ghost town Namie itself. It is safe enough for…

Read more

Sold out? Hold out . . .

There's nothing worse than booking something - anything - and then finding out that you've be bumped.  Especially when you've been counting on it, you're tired and it's late at night in a city that you don't know. Companies have codes of ethics, don't they?  The customer comes first, correct?  They have contingency plans for…

Read more