On a small island in southwestern Japan with a population of only around 1,700, Australian John Widmer, reputed as the island's only foreign resident, runs a cafe hoping it will serve as a new spot to draw visitors.

Those traveling by ferry to Himeshima, an Oita Prefecture island with a 17-kilometer-long coastline, are immediately greeted by the sight of the vibrant green and yellow of the Ozi Cafe, complete with a hand-drawn caricature of the 64-year-old as its logo.

Driven by his quest for good coffee and a desire to share a familiar taste of home, Widmer decided to open the cafe on the island in May last year, with coffee brewed from roasted beans imported directly from Australia becoming popular among visitors.

"(Customers) were really surprised at how nice the coffee was. I give them a taste of the beans. Because if I'm ever buying coffee in bulk for home, I would always eat one of the beans. And if the bean tastes good, you're going to get a good coffee," Widmer said.

 

Local businesses on the island have also benefited from the cafe's growing reputation, with foreign visitors coming to enjoy the coffee after Walk Japan Ltd., a company that organizes walking tours across Japan, started including Himeshima on its itinerary, according to Widmer.

Originally from Sydney, Widmer was once a competitive swimmer and ran a swimming school in Australia for around 20 years. But with a longtime love for Japan, and his wife also from Oita Prefecture, he decided to relocate to Himeshima in May 2023.

Despite the language barrier and cultural differences, the islanders welcomed Widmer warmly, allowing him to settle easily into the community. In addition to running his cafe, he also teaches swimming to local elementary school students and participates in a volleyball club.

"We welcome new people bringing fresh ideas. I hope the island keeps getting livelier," said Shiori Matsubara, a 63-year-old employee of a nearby souvenir shop.
 
 

Hot spring resorts across Japan are facing water shortages as the influx of foreign tourists drives up usage, forcing some onsen to shut down due to inadequate supplies, local authorities said Saturday.

Municipalities have restricted new drilling and called for water conservation, though no long-term solution has emerged as the tourism boom, which has propped up the country's economy, shows no signs of abating, officials added.

"Water levels are falling, but hot springs remain operational," Daisuke Murakami, mayor of Ureshino in Saga Prefecture on the southwestern island of Kyushu, said at an emergency press conference in late January.

Murakami added that city officials are taking the situation seriously, with the average water level at the source of the Ureshino hot spring resort, one of the key tourist spots in the prefecture, dropping to a record low of 40.8 meters last year.

The prefecture links the decline to rising demand after Shinkansen bullet train services to the area began, bringing more visitors. It has urged onsen to limit daily extraction and some hotels to regulate late-night in-room baths to allow water levels to recover gradually.

 

Hot springs in other prefectures are encountering similar challenges. Local governments have capped new drilling and encouraged water saving, but fears linger that such steps may not be enough to ensure supplies are sustained, especially with the continued influx of overseas tourists.

Excessive extraction is the main cause of the falling water levels, experts warn.

A senior researcher at the Hot Spring Research Center, Japan, emphasized the necessity for a scientific approach to management, saying, "Monitoring water levels using data to cut waste is critical."

The number of foreign visitors to Japan topped 36 million in 2024, reaching a new all-time high, boosted by the yen's depreciation and the resumption of flight routes following the COVID-19 pandemic, central government data showed earlier this year.
 
 

Japan’s traditional sake brewing has been officially registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, highlighting the cultural and historical significance of sake, shochu, and awamori. This decision was reached unanimously at a UNESCO meeting held in Paraguay on December 5th, 2024.

Traditional sake brewing has a history spanning over 500 years and involves techniques like steaming rice, making koji mold, and fermenting mash. These methods are closely connected to Japan’s natural environment and regional climates and have been handed down through generations. Sake made with these techniques plays a significant role in Japanese ceremonies and festivals, highlighting its cultural importance.

The registration marks Japan’s 23rd intangible cultural heritage listing, joining entries such as washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) and Noh theater. Ambassador Yudai Kano, Japan’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, expressed hope that this recognition will help preserve traditional brewing techniques and inspire future generations to sustain this legacy.

Organizations like the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association welcomed the designation, emphasizing its potential to promote Japanese sake on a global scale.

While domestic consumption has declined—dropping from 1.675 million kiloliters in 1975 to 400,000 in 2022—export value has soared, reaching approximately 41.1 billion JPY in 2023. This has been primarily fueled by increasing international appreciation for sake as a perfect pairing with Japanese cuisine.

Regions like Nada Gogo in Hyogo Prefecture, renowned for its high-quality sake production, continue to preserve traditional methods while adapting to modern challenges including changing rice properties due to climate change. Efforts to train new generations of brewers are underway, with educational institutions like Tokyo University of Agriculture offering specialized programs. The recent UNESCO recognition not only celebrates Japan’s rich brewing heritage, but serves as an opportunity to expand sake’s global presence and safeguard its traditional roots for the future.



Learn More

Be sure to explore some of the articles below for sake and brewing-related travel spots and guides:

• Tama Brewery Tour (Tokyo area)
• Uonuma Koji Salon (Niigata): focused on koji mold also used to make amazake, a popular drink
• Sake Etiquette Guide

...and plenty more! Search for "sake" on our site to explore destinations and experiences near where you're visiting.
 
 

 

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Agents are preparing new products for Japan’s off season (December to February) to maximise on the rapid recovery of the country’s inbound tourism market and ease operational challenges caused by extremes of high and low numbers of visitors throughout the year.

In addition to promoting snow sports, which the Japan Tourism Agency has named a “key tourism activity” that can increase spending and time spent in regional areas, tourism stakeholders are developing other outdoor activities and experiences.

DMC Discova is creating new sake brewery tours and local food excursions for winter in Shinkansen-accessible snow destinations such as Nagano and Niigata prefectures.

“As Japan’s inbound tourism business has been densely populated in the peak cherry blossom and fall foliage seasons, it has been causing some operational burdens for our partner agencies and internal operations.

Discova Japan is trying to spread demand throughout the four seasons by developing and providing low season products,” said Olivia Yeji Jeung, country manager, Japan for Discova.

The company is “expecting a new product line-up for winter to bridge until next year’s cherry blossoms pop up”, she said, adding that “diversification in areas and activities is the key to success for 2024 and even upcoming 2025”.

Meanwhile, Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau is inviting inbound travellers to “venture beyond the city to the resort area of eternal springtime” on the Izu archipelago, which is part of Tokyo but typically enjoys temperature of 12-14 degrees Celsius from December to February.

Rakuten Travel Experiences is offering two experiences on Kozushima island – stargazing with a high-tech telescope and hiking on Mount Tenjo.
 

 

 
Venue : Kanze Noh Theater
When: Aug 19th - Aug 25th 2024

Regarded as one of Japan’s greatest forms of classical performing arts, Noh is a type of theater popularized during the Muromachi Period (1336-1568) that tells stories through music, dance, ornate costumes, and drama. Typically these plays are based on traditional Japanese literature and legends.

Experience this elegant artform firsthand during Tokyo Ginza Noh Week! Held from August 19-25, 2024 at Kanze Noh Theater, this immersive event features rare and exclusive experiences you cannot find elsewhere.

The theater is located in the heart of Tokyo’s trendy Ginza area on the third floor of shopping complex GINZA SIX, making it an exceptional and convenient way to elevate your itinerary. Tickets are sold at the door.

English-speaking Noh actors are stationed throughout the event, there is an interpreter in the lobby, and signs and descriptions have English translations, so you do not need to worry about language barriers!

Learn more about the event’s offerings below, and check out the end of the article for special information about guided Ginza tours.


Workshop with Kanze Noh Performers

 

This 45-minute workshop is one of the highlights of Tokyo Ginza Noh Week and is held twice a day at 3pm and 6pm in the facility’s theater room. During the workshop, Kanze Noh performers and English interpreters will present information about the history of Noh and its iconic costumes and masks.

After the lecture, they will lead the crowd through common Noh exercises, such as vocal training and acting practice. The workshop truly stimulates both your mind and body! After the workshop, you can take photos with Noh actors in the lobby.


Noh Mask Experience

 

The event’s most exclusive offering is its Noh Mask Experience, which allows participants to wear authentic masks that were once used on stage. Normally, these masks are solely handled by performers and authorized personnel. The event has a selection of roughly 30 masks that represent characters such as women, old men, demons, and spirits.


Noh Masks and Costumes Exhibition

 

This exhibition allows you to admire traditional embroidery and Noh designs up close. The masks and costumes on display are still used in performances today, and the oldest pieces are roughly 100 years old!


Movie: "Kanze Noh Theater Backstage Tour"

 

Only Noh performers can enter the theater’s backstage area. Through the “Kanze Noh Theater Backstage Tour” movie, you can learn about this unseen part of Noh. The movie has English subtitles.


Event Shop with Limited-edition Goods

 

The Event Shop sells goods from Kanze Noh Theater’s souvenir shop, such as t-shirts and bags. It also offers items exclusive to Tokyo Ginza Noh Week, including Noh and Snoopy collaboration products, as well as Noh-imprinted senbei (rice crackers).


Noh Costume Demonstration (planned implementation)

 

Watch how a Noh performer would dress for the stage. The costumes used for this rare demonstration are for the famous Noh play Hagoromo, which tells the tale of a celestial maiden.

*Please note that the theater plans to implement this activity but has not confirmed it yet.


Guided Ginza Tours!

 

During the duration of the event, you can join two guided Ginza tours in English to further experience the charm of the area. The Discover Ginza Tour includes tea and dessert in Ginza, one hour at Kanze Noh Theater, and Tokyo sightseeing from Ginza Six’s Rooftop Garden. The Ginza Highlights Tour offers a one-hour experience at Kanze Noh Theater and an introduction to the Ginza area.
 

In Nintendo's recent financial earnings report released in May 2024, the company confirmed the Nintendo Museum will finally be opening this autumn in Kyoto's Uji City.

Originally scheduled to open by the end of Spring 2024, it is understood now that the main construction (at the site of a former Nintendo factory) is finally complete and a launch officially on the horizon for autumn 2024—albeit the exact date is under wraps for now.

You can see more about the construction from this September 2023 update:
The musuem is expected to celebrate Nintendo's vast video game history, spanning consoles, games and a whole lot more.

As the creator of many franchises like Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, and Pokémon, there is understandably a lot of excitement with regards to what exhibitions, displays and experiences visitors can expect to see, but otherwise are not yet announced.
 

Why is it located in Uji?

The museum's site in Uji City is that of Nintendo's former Uji Ogura Plant, which since 1969 used to be a production base during its trading card days, as well later being used for video game console and toy repairs.

The site's operations were eventually merged into another larger Uji plant, leaving the future of the current site, which carries a bit of Nintendo history, under review until the Nintendo Museum ('Nintendo Gallery') plans were eventually unveiled in 2021.

The location can be reached (when it opens) in a short 30-min journey by train from Kyoto Station to the north. Uji is known for its matcha green tea history and production and also home to Byodo-in Temple.

Visiting the museum will make sense for Nintendo fans already stopping by USJ Osaka's Super Nintendo World, which opened to fanfare back in 2021.