Japanese Spicy Citrus Condiment, better than Wasabi? | Yuzu Kosho
This Japanese condiment, spicy-salty citrus is still unknown to many will change the way you enjoy your food forever. Yuzukosho (柚子胡椒) is by far my favorite Japanese condiment …
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Can Tourists Use Childcare in Japan?
Could tourists really leave their child at a daycare in Tokyo and enjoy a few hours alone? We checked our son into ANO-NE Kids Club, Yurakucho (Ginza) to find out — and it changed the way we think about family travel in Japan. While there, we went on a date to
99.9% of Tourists NEVER Visit This Mountain Village
Leaving Tokyo or Kyoto – the beaten path every tourist travels – for Japan’s LONG TRAILS is one amazing adventure! Hiking from one hidden mountain village to another, many lost in time – mountain huts, ryokan, Japanese Inns with amazing cuisine and hot spring, onsen […]
THIS on Japanese Rice is IRRESISTIBLE
A plain bowl of Japanese rice may seem boring at first, but when you have toppings, it’s like making a pizza! Rice is just a blank slate and Tsukudani is the flavor that elevates rice to the highest level. Tsukudani is simmered in soy sauce, […]
Nagasaki Bombing Story | Tour around the Hypocenter
What exactly happened after the bomb was dropped? Hiroshima came first. 3 days later, Nagasaki — a plutonium based atomic weapon dropped and detonated at 11:02 destroying Nagasaki and Urakami Valley is also the last atomic weapon used in war. I visited Nagasaki, toured the […]
Tokyo’s Endangered Alley Bars | Shimbashi Snack Tour
Tokyo’s nightlife is full of options but this one in Shimbashi is endangered. Other neighborhoods like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa also have similar issues with their Showa era restaurants and bars. A “Sunakku” or Snack Bar is a Showa-era eating & drinking spot, often small and […]
Japan Post’s Incredible Job Climbing a Mountain (Yamadera)
Japan Post has a mailbox atop a mountain, over 1000 steps to the top of Yamadera in Yamagata, and one mailman has to climb those steps everyday to pick it up! No cars, climb!
Japan’s Clothing Rental Travel Service means No Packing, No Suitcase
Japan’ has 3 million tourists a year brining in a lot of suitcases so Japan Airlines and Sumitomo created a Rental Clothing service for tourists. Yes, you can leave your clothes at home, leave your big suitcase at home and have your clothes sent to your hotel in Japan. It seemed like an interesting concept to me so I decided to try it out – Anywear, Anywhere – on a trip to Hokkaido.
How Japanese Square Watermelons are Made and Eaten
Japanese Square Watermelons are rare and special, only 200-400 are successfully grown every year. Many farmers have failure rates as high as 90% so these watermelons are rare. The history goes back to …
How Japan Cleans a 1300 Year Old Treasure | Inside Todaiji Temple (Nara)
Every year the massive Daibutsu statue at Todaiji in Nara gets a cleaning on August 7th. 200 people from different occupations and skills come together to clean the inside of the Great Hall that includes the 15m / 50 foot high statue. The cleaning event […]
Shinjuku Restaurant Tour Experience | Sushi, Wagyu, Tempura & More
Eating out in Tokyo is an adventure, especially in Shinjuku – Tokyo’s busiest area with over 3.5M people going through Shinjuku Station daily! There are over 1500 restaurants around the station serving food like Sushi, Wagyu Beef, Yakiniku & Shabushabu, Tempura, Yakitori, Ramen and with so many options, it can be very hard to pick a good one, especially if you don’t speak Japanese.
The Manjiro Story | Shipwreck Survivor’s Unexpected Life
Shipwrecked on a deserted volcanic island in the Pacific, a 14 year old fisherman from Kochi, Japan, survives to live a life that helps change the path of modern Japan! The story of Nakahama “John Mung” Manjiro is
How JAPANESE TOYS took over our World
Toys from Japan have always been innovative, from the 1954 Godzilla movie on, character toys sparked the imagination of generations. From cinema and TV, the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s brought us Kamen Rider, Ultraman, Super Sentai and many others still popular today.