Let’s get straight into it; have you found the Japanese sake to suit your tastes? Japanese sake (nihonshu). It’s a reality that although Japanese people are familiar with sake, many don’t know the history or about the different types. Japanese sake is said to be a drink with a long history th
When you think of Hakodate's gourmet area, The Hakodate Asaichi in front of Hakodate Station comes to mind. Although there is a lot of good fresh seafood, it is only open from dawn until the day, and the fact that it is closed at night is too bad. For those of you who want the same experience but
Shirakawago is one of the tourist attractions strongly recommended to come when visiting Japan. In a small village, there gather many houses built in traditional architecture style called Gassho building. Shirakawago, located in the northern Gifu prefecture, is a traditional settlement as
Nihonbashi, the commercial town that continues from the Edo period, is the starting point of "the Five Routes" connecting all over Japan. It is an attractive area with fusion of historical buildings and the latest commercial facilities. Just walking Nihonbashi allows you to touch Japanese history
I’m going to introduce three well-known restaurants that exhibit a Japanese taste among the many theme restaurants that continue to pop up. There’s no question you will be surprised by the unique culture of the Heian era and the Sengoku period exhibited within these interiors. These businesses boast
This series is our collection of selected locations (machi) from all around Japan - places with various different cultures and local specialities, and those with novel customs of some sort. In the last volume we went to Aomori, this time our focus is on Gifu! Gifu - a prefecture that foreig
Visiting a shrine is an integral part of any journey to the land of the rising sun. Most of us have heard through guidebooks of the likes of Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine, Hiroshima's Itsukushima Shrine and Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, etc. However, there are many more spots - hidden secret shrines worth c
This is a continuation of the previous installment of “Beautiful Japan in Pictures Vol. 1 <Townscape / Everyday Life>”. This time we carefully selected pictures that depict the unique charm of Japan’s atmosphere and culture. While some of the following is not only found in Japan, there are var
While sightseeing and good food are a must for Japanese travelers, “buy souvenirs” is definitely in the top five travel activities. Just to be clear, “buy souvenirs” is different from “go shopping”. Buying souvenirs is a part of Japanese society where you buy things for others instead of your
