Summer heat and fatigue, natsubate, has struck The Nihon Sun! That, a few earthquakes, and visitors with crazy schedules has made me a sweat drenched and sunburned resident with lots of inspiration but an inability to peck out a cohesive string of words down on my keyboard… My trusty folding fan is never far from […]
I’m off to Kamakura in Kanagawa prefecture today – it’s just one of a few great day trips that can be made using Tokyo as a base. Many of these places can be explored in a day but if you have time you may want to consider staying the night at a hotel or ryokan […]
Taking pictures of Japan is a must for visitors and residents alike and there are so many great things to photograph that it can be overwhelming. As an amateur photography buff I have recently taken on the personal challenge of capturing images that are not what you might expect to see in a photo album […]
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 […]
There is more to Tsukiji in the morning that just the tuna auction. In fact a stroll through the streets outside the market can be as invigorating experience as the market itself. This is one early morning jaunt that I would recommend – while it is still a place of business, consumers are welcome to […]
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 […]
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 […]
Planning a trip to Japan or even travel within Japan is an exciting proposition that can easily get thrown into disarray once you are on the ground. One of the most common questions that we are asked in the Japan Discovered! weekly tweetchat goes something like this: “I have X days in Japan, can I […]
When you visit Japan you may choose to stay at a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) rather than a traditional hotel. Ryokan offer visitors an opportunity to learn more about Japanese culture in an environment that is second only to that of staying with a friend who lives in a home that was designed in the […]
