Sitting 52 floors above Tokyo, you will find Tokyo City View in the Roppongi Hills’ Mori Tower where you will share great views of the city with the fish of “Sky Aquarium III” from July 17th – October 4th. The Sky Aquarium intersperses art among fish tanks and utilizes fish tanks and their occupants as […]
Everyone loves a bargain and whether you live in Japan or are planning a visit it’s always good to look for Japan Travel Specials and ways to save a few Yen. Japan Rail, better know as JR to locals, offers a selection of special tickets that will do just that! Some promotions are seasonal but […]
In the center of the Tokyo’s Yamanote line you will find Kagurazaka Slope, an area that was once just beyond the walls of the imperial palace grounds, and where artists, politicians and Geisha once mingled. The name Kagurazaka is a combination of kagura (a shrine-dance to music) and saka (hill) and evokes the sites and […]
The arts of the Geisha are not often witnessed by foreigners or even the ordinary Japanese, so I was told by my host Takehara-san. The six Geisha districts of Tokyo, Shinbashi, Akasaka, Asakusa, Kagurazaka, Mukoujima and Yoshicho, have teamed up with Muromachi Fukutokujuku to present performances that are a great way to “feel” Japanese culture […]
For most of Japan’s freshwater sportsmen, salmon are regarded as the ultimate catch. Until 1997 sport angling for this prized fish was prohibited in Japanese rivers, but now eleven streams in Hokkaido and Honshu allow limited recreational fishing for salmon. River fishing for salmon is strictly regulated here. Anglers must apply for permission several months […]
A visit to the Tsukiji Wholesale Fish Market in Tokyo is much lauded in the tourist guidebooks to the city but after five years on living in Japan I still hadn’t been. That all changed when an enthusiastic friend arrived and wanted to make the trip. I had read about controversy surrounding visits to the […]
Dining in a lantern lit alleyway that lies humbly within walking distance of Tokyo’s glitzy Ginza stores and neon lights is sure to have you saying “Oishikatta!” – that was delicious! As you enter Yakitori Alley you will be met with a chorus of irishaimase (welcome) from the staff of the many closet sized restaurants […]
Taking the train in Japan is really quite easy but like doing anything for the first time it can be a bit intimidating at first. Which train line do I want? Which track do I need to be on to go in the right direction? These questions and more will be racing through your mind […]
Amusement parks, theme parks will add a special something to your Japan trip, especially if you are traveling with kids, or the young at heart who would never dream of passing up an opportunity to act like kid. Game centers (video game arcades) can be found in almost every neighborhood and Ferris Wheels seem to […]
Shrines in Japan offer up beautiful vignettes for visitors to enjoy at every turn. The torii (entrance gate) can be impressive, large and wooden like that at Meiji Jingu, multiple smaller ones in a distinctive red, or a single simple torii that humbly announces the presence of the shrine. The path to the shrine itself […]
