JAPAN TRAVEL
A welcome oasis in busy Tokyo
Tokyo is a space of fantastic contradictions. Unfathomable skyscrapers straddle ancient temple complexes. Young girls with pink hair and knee high boots sit on the metro side-by-side with wizened old men in smart shirts and fedoras. McDonalds sell Egg Mc...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Sumo fuel at Kappo Yoshiba in Sumida
After watching a fascinating documentary on the sumo diet, chankonabe became an important addition to my Tokyo to-do list. A huge hotpot of meat and vegetables, chankonabe is a nutritious and extremely calorific dish that has fuelled sumo for deca...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Yamagata prefecture's mountain temple
Near the border of Yamagata prefecture and Miyagi prefecture sits a small town called Yamadera. The town is small and out of the way from any major cities or roads, but therein lies its own uniqueness. The characters “yama (山)” and “tera(寺)” tr...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Go underground at Harajuku Bell Pier
It was a glaringly sunny winter afternoon in Omotesando. Yes the fashionistas are wearing sunglasses here are for a reason. Minutes later, I momentarily forgot being blinded, being two meters underground. Like a speakeasy in the Prohibition era, t...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Iza Mile Kamakura Smart Phone Application
A new cell pone application was introduced last year to encourage healthy walking. Iza Mile Kamakura allows you to collect mileage points by walking any of the 300 sightseeing spots in and around Kamakura. From the station we chose from a men...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Learn about one of Tokyo's worst natural disasters
The Great Kanto Earthquake struck Tokyo at 11.58 am on September 1st 1923 and by the time the resulting fires had been put out over 70% of Tokyo was destroyed.
If you are interested in finding out more about this disaster then it is ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Sugar and Spice and everything nice
When I was having a few of my favorite things at Cafe de Take, a song from the sound of music came into my mind. If Julie Andrews was here, maybe she will be singing:
“Pumpkin cheesecakes with toffee like crackles
Doorbells and sleigh bells and blu...

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LONELY PLANET
 
Japan’s sunny southern islands see a remarkable number of 100th birthdays – the scientists have their theories as to why, but we’ve travelled to research our own list of top Okinawan lifestyle tips.
Mrs Kajigu used to get up at 5am. Now that she is 104, she allows herself a lie-in...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
A convenient hotel near Tokyo's main sights
One of Tokyo's most popular districts for visitors, Asakusa has the full range of accommodation, from high-end hotels to backpacker hostels and capsule hotels. Falling squarely in the midrange, Hotel MYSTAYS Asakusa is welcoming, comfortabl...

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LONELY PLANET
 
Japan seduces and dazzles travellers with its buzzed-up, sprawling, ultra-convenient big cities. But if you’re weary of crowds and vending-machine-packed streets, get yourself to Matsue in Western Honshū and hop a ferry to the slow life on the remote and fascinating Oki Islands.
N...

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