JAPAN TRAVEL
Nagasaki's hidden gem
A quaint cafe located in the heart of Nagasaki City, Elv will capture your heart and remind you why you fell in love with cafes in the first place.
My need for small, unique cafés could be perceived as something of an addiction. Without them, I feel myself growi...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
A hidden gem in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture
Looking for an authentic experience of Japanese hospitality where you are treated as a guest of the community and not just a tourist? Hijiori Onsen is just what you have been looking for.
A number of recently popular destinations h...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Japan's Chinese heart
In America they have a saying: "You can take the boy out of Chinatown, but you can't take Chinatown out of the boy". Well, maybe it doesn't go entirely like that. But like pimples on a pubescent child's face, Chinatowns today have spread all over the world. With...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
 
A dream of pure chocolate
February is coldest month of the year in Japan, but also the best month to enjoy chocolate.
It is no co-incidence that Valentine's Day is in February. Traditionally Japanese women give a treat to men for love, friendship or respect. Now most confectioners ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
The First Encounter with a Samurai
The cherry trees were oozing out an irresistible fragrance which was dissipating in the warm, spring air. It was minutes before dusk and the setting rays of the Japanese sun were vivaciously bathing the crystal-clear water of the pond in myriads of ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
 
 
Taking on a course unfit for strapping boys
A friend bought me a book detailing different cycling routes around the Kansai area not too long ago. Since then, we tried a crazy route up and down a gravelly mountain that was incredibly tough. I also fell off the mountain (perhaps a ...

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THE JAPAN NEWS
 
MORIYA, Ibaraki — Meiji Co.’s Moriya Factory, which was established in 1998, churns out about 2 million packs a day of products such as Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt. Visitors can see the production process while learning about the history and attractiveness of dairy products. I visited ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
For those longing for their fair share of vegetables
Veg Out Cafe in Kyoto overlooks the Kamagawa river and as the name suggests provides customers with a place to relax.
The design of the cafe is welcoming and inclusive. It feels as though you are expected to stay for more then just...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Resurrected by Meiji Emperor after 269-year closure
In Toyokuni Shrine, Higashiyama, Kyoto, Toyotomi Hideyoshi is enshrined. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a prominent historical figure in Japan, was originally just a poor farmer. Intelligent and ambitious as he was, later he became one of the ...

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JAPAN TRENDS
 
Tokyo welcomes the country’s (and world’s) first hand-drip green tea cafe, Tokyo Saryo, a modern, modish and minimalist affair tucked away in the sinuous streets of the popular Sangenjaya district. Everything about Tokyo Saryo is stripped down to the bare essentials, even the cafe’...

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