The Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri) is a spectacle of ice and snow which takes place every February in Hokkaido’s most major city. Snow…

If you look at this photo and think it doesn’t look like anywhere else in Japan, you’d be right. Shirakawa-Go, a mountain settlement in Gifu…

Hakone, Yokohama, Kamakura and Enoshima Island are some of the common day-trips which typically get mentioned in tourist guides and travel sites. However, since these…

Updated: February 12th, 2018 You don’t need to be a stationery enthusiast to appreciate this marvel of fine craftsmanship, beauty and utility. With their OMOSHIROI…

As our readers may recall, last month, Kyoto pop singer Asachill guided us through the beautiful traditional Kyoto neighborhood of Pontocho where she grew up….

Part haute cuisine and part fantasy adventure, Ninja Akasaka is more of an experience than a meal. Source: (C) Grape Japan Our journey back in…

According to Japanese etiquette, any physiological manifestation which draws attention to oneself should be repressed to the extent possible. For example, spitting and blowing one’s…

With the abundance of awesome sightseeing spots and natural splendor in Japan, it can sometimes be difficult to narrow down a list of “must-go-to” areas…

Geishas and maikos (apprentice geishas) in the hanamachi entertainment quarters of Gion and Pontocho gathered on January 7 to participate in a yearly ceremony to…

Japan is no stranger to unconventional snack food flavors, and potato chips are no exception. Everything from squid and carrots to milk and toast, and…

Once the winter holidays have passed, Japan spares no time in gearing up for its famous spring season of blooming cherry blossoms (sakura) by releasing…

Tattoos stay with you forever, and apparently so does your criminal past. A Facebook post of an elaborately tattooed man in Thailand went viral, with…

Not many people have the time or money to travel all around, to sample all the food and see all the festivals Japan has to…

The behavior of Japanese middle and high school teachers has come under fire in recent years, especially in terms of what many see as excessive…

While Kyoto is known for offering very sophisticated, culturally refined dining experiences of the highest level, with price tags just as high to match them,…