Leave it to a skyscraper to teach me a lesson in assumption. Just when I was wondering what was left for me to see in the city, the Shin Marunouchi building at Tokyo Station opened its doors.
Officially up and running on April the 27, 2007, the building is a sleek black giant, standing a formidable 38 floors tall. An office-retail complex; its shopping and restaurant section is open to the public and inhabits the basement to 7th floor.
I was a skeptic, (especially of the ‘office’ aspect of the place) until a Tokyo native explained to me that on weekends, when all of the business people are not around, it has become a major attraction for ‘regulars’.
The shopping area is nice, but the juiciest part of Shin Marunouchi can be found on the 5th, 6... Read More
Sumo wrestlers, rikishi, sekitori or oyakata? The world of sumo involves a complex interchange of tradition and ritual. On a Sunday morning in May I ventured into one aspect of this remarkable world.
Think of sumo and most people picture two overweight men squaring up on an elevated ring, a few seconds off pushing and shoving, crowds cheering and then applause as one of the men is pushed out of the ring or floored. This is the norm at tournaments, but the art of sumo, deeply enshrined in tradition and Shinto ritual, needs to be understood to be appreciated. Training and preparation for tournaments are vital for any aspiring wrestler, yet few no much about what this entails.
On arrival at the stable at Ryogoku we were greeted by gasps, groans and t... Read More
When you arrive somewhere you feel a type of sixth sense indicative of whether or not this place and its inhabitants are going to treat you well. I felt good when I arrived in Takayama.
This small town near Japan's southern alps was strongly recommended by my guide book and as I was spending my holiday in Nagano prefecture nearby I thought it would be a good idea to check it out. The bus ride from Matsumoto was as spectacular as anything I had experienced over the past few days. The road wound through valleys and mountains all covered in a thick carpet of green foliage. The small villages and roadside stops were inundated with tour buses and cars; the crowds head for the mountains in the summer months and it's easy to see why.
Setting off from Tonami City in Toyama prefecture, I am getting taken to Inami to check out some woodcarving place that I am told is really famous. My Father in-law has two mates that are master craftsmen there so we are going to get the behind the scenes tour as well. Arriving in the carpark the place is a lot bigger than I expected and has an out door area with huge carvings, which we check out first.
To my surprise being along way from New Zealand, there is a huge Maori Tiki in the ground. Maori are the original inhabitants of New Zealand, who are of Islander decent just for your reference. After a walk around outside we get walked inside for free and are taken to an area just inside the entrance that opens out to a courtyard. Here are the shops of several of the ma... Read More
Tomohiro Hoshino’s youth was focused on being very physically active. He was a gymnastics teacher at a junior high school when, at age 24, he injured his neck teaching his students a routine maneuver. Afterwards, he was completely paralyzed from the neck down. He remained in the hospital for nine years. During this time of incapacitation and therapy he learned to write poems and paint flowers using his mouth with the aid of his mother. As his talent developed, his practice became a world famous collection of work.
A new Tomihiro Hoshino art museum opened in April of 2005 in his hometown, Azuma Village, Seta, Gunma Prefecture. It takes a long and winding trip up in the mountains to get to it, but the views along the way are stunning and the work of Tom... Read More
Miyajima is a famous island next to Hiroshima. Its real name is “Itsukushima” but most people call it Miyajima. You can take a train or streetcar from Hiroshima to a ferry (Miyajima-guchi) that will take you over to the island. Any trip to Hiroshima is incomplete without visiting Miyajima.
Upon arrival on Miyajima, you will be accosted by wild deer! Don’t be afraid; these deer are very friendly and want to be fed. Most of them have had their antlers shaved off, so they are less dangerous. However, there are some male deer with magnificent antlers.
As you walk along the shore, you will see many souvenir shops. I recommend that you buy momiji manju for omiyage. Omiyage is Japanese for “souvernir”, specifically a souvenir you give to ... Read More
Mt. Ishizuchi is the tallest mountain on Shikoku and western Japan. It is 1982m, which makes its very popular with foreigners born in 1982 like me.
You can reach Mt Ishizuchi from Saijo city or Matsuyama city in Ehime prefecture. It takes about 2 hours to drive from Matsuyama city to reach the hiking trail. The 4km hike begins at around 1400m.
According to Japanese Shinto beliefs, significant natural areas are holy. My students would loosely translate this as “the playground of the gods”. For instance, Mt. Fuji is sacred, as well as a Miyajima island itself. Mt. Ishizuchi is one of seven sacred mountains of Japan. In Japanese folklore, mountains have supernatural spirit called “Tengu”. They are often described as having a very lon... Read More
Coming to Japan, go to Kyoto. It's as simple as that. Of course there are a million and one different things to see and do whilst you are here, and if you are living here you have an even better opportunity to see parts of Japan that the usual tourist won't see, but whatever you do, make sure you go to Kyoto.
For me, Kyoto is the heart and soul of Japan, the mystic old capital, where Geisha still walk the streets, Golden Pavilions sit over motionless lakes, and monkeys have the best real estate in town!
Kyoto has a unique history, and is filled with everything you read about Japan in the tourist guides and so much more. Search the streets of Gion and Pnotocho for Geisha and Maiko dressed in their finest, visit stunning Temples, Shrines and Cas... Read More
The city of Beppu in Oita on the island of Kyushu is known for having a large quantity of geothermic heated hot springs known as Onsen. Spouting scalding waters year round, the town of Beppu offers both a city and country outlook at modern Japanese life. The Japanese coined the term “the nine hells of Beppu” for the areas containing unusually large amounts of steam and boiling waters that allude to the namesake. Beppu’s Onsen attracts a lot of families and senior citizens looking for a comfortable everyday country type of lifestyle. In many cases Onsen water can be piped right into your home daily to bathe in for a monthly fee. There is a hot spring for everyone in Beppu and travelers have a lot to choose from in terms of visual surroundings, water mineral type, and acco... Read More
Probably the title sounds stupid but yeah, there’s a place in Japan that looks like Holland (or called The Netherlands). I bet the first things that come out in your minds when you hear the country Holland are tulips, clogs, bicycles and windmills…same here! When I was younger I really dreamt of going to this place because I was so curious on how they grow their high-breed tulips which made them top exporters in the world. Their tulips are considered expensive and high-quality ones. It’s like their soils are gifted with fertilizers for best growing breeds of tulips.. how amazing!
Winter of last year, I was wondering where to go for spring. I heard from a friend that there's a Dutch inspired "koen" (park) in Chiba good for springtime. I was so eager to go t... Read More
During winter, many people just sit at their houses, be sad and blue. Well it’s best to try to go out and have fun no matter how cold the weather is. The best thing to do during winter is to try skiing, skating or go to places with thick snow like Nikko, Niigata and Mt. Fuji. The closest of these places is Nikko, around 2 hours and half to travel by train and 3 hours by car. It will cost you ?4,400 one day pass (avail in Tokyo Station) to get to Nikko. The travel is quite exhausting but who cares, the fun and experiences are worth it anyway.
I am from a country with no snow though there’s some cold places in my country too. I am quite hungry to see tons and tons of snow; get merry and wanting to experience how it is to be surrounding by big blocks of snow or ice... Read More
I still cannot get over with writing about this very nice place in Yokohama, named Sakura-gicho! Know why? Cause it’s just absolutely beautiful and incomparable. I chanced by staying a night in Sakura-gicho in a very nice Washington Hotel. I cannot deny that Sakura-gicho has it’s hidden beauty especially in the evening. The beautiful lights in the building seduce you to glance at them once in a while and would claim “WOWWWW”. There are only few places I called very nice in Japan, Meiji Temple, Mt. Fuji, Hakone, and Sakura-gicho Yokohama. There are more good places though but for these spots are my favorites.
Simplicity is one of my criteria of making a place my favorite. Sakura-gicho has an enormous simplicity that you can’t describe. Maybe because it has no too mu... Read More
Moments with friends are the best times to get away from the city and have some time nature-tripping especially on spring and autumn. If you want to have a relaxing, refreshing experience away from the busy and fast pace Tokyo; explore Hakone. It’s 2 hours away from Tokyo Station and cost ?2,000 one way by JR Line. The trip is quite exhausting though but the experience is worth it, I can guarantee that. Anyways, you’re riding a train with friends or family ?it’s never boring! You don’t have to worry about the transportation or the traveling because it’s all taken cared of especially if you have the Hakone ticket that you can get in Tokyo Station.
By the time you arrive at Hakone, you could see beautiful flowers at both sides of the roads, tall and golden colored grasses... Read More
You ever wonder where to bring your kids or do some recreational sight-seeing in Yokohama, go to Yokohama’s Cosmo World. If you are tired of dining and tired of going to bars, why not try visiting to visit places where real action and physical fun is located?
You, your friends or your kids will definitely enjoy with the varieties of things to do in Cosmo World. They have many rides like the ferris wheel, roller coaster and many more! The Cosmo World has recreation trends suitable for every age. Aside from the exciting rides, there’s an Ice World Museum too where you could see some artifacts made and/or sculpt from ice with very affordable entrance fee.
Inside the Cosmo World building you can find different, unique and colorful things to see, there’s a mini-un... Read More
If you wanna spend some time for sightseeing, I would definitely recommend to visit Sakura-gicho.
The first time I visited Sakura-gicho by JR Negishi Line, I was so impressed at the wide, spacious, progressive town. It’s surrounded by nice and famous hotels like the Sakura-gicho Washington Hotel, Pacific Hotel, Marutani Hotel, Yokohama Mandarin Hotel, Breezebay Hotel and many more. Remind you that these hotels are not only famous but they have the best accommodations with reasonable prices inn whole Japan. Sakura-gicho is only a station away from Yokohama, 45 minutes away from Tokyo and is very easy to locate. Japanese trains and subways are very convenient though.
My experience in Sakura-gicho, Yokohama last summer was great! I enjoyed shopping ... Read More
