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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JAPAN TRAVEL
 
 
Lovely accommodations for ladies only
Ladies Inn Guesthouse Usagi-Momiji. Let us first of all just appreciate how adorable the name of the guesthouse is, incorporating usagi, meaning rabbit, and momiji, meaning autumn leaves. This guesthouse is by far the best accommodation I hav...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
To sit, reflect and be still with a cup of Matcha
After a long rejuvenating walk up to Mt. Inari, consider visiting Matsu no Shitaya and Garden to rest.
Located to the South of the Kagura-den (sacred music hall,) you will see a wooden gate and just inside is the Tea House and Garden ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
 
A family art collection dating back 270 years
My town has a few museums such as the Hakurankan and the Omodakaya. The Omodakaya displays everyday items of commoners, where the Saito museum is focused more on those items from the upper class.
The Saito Museum and Cafe, next to the O...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Houses, merchants, and museums reveal Samurai lifestyle
Samurai are synonymous with Japan. Their skill with the sword was legendary. Their obligation and dedication to protect their lord was immeasurable. Samurai were the highest members of society and could enjoy the finer things in...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Touring the lake area and the highlands of Nagano
Traveling through the gorgeous rural scenery in the Suwa area of Nagano surrounded by lakes, valleys, mountains and forests, there is a need to get out, get off the path and experience the fresh air. One of the best ways to do this is...

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