JAPAN TRAVEL
A quaint eatery in Hokancho
Located a few steps away from the popular tourist accommodation Torii-Kuguru, is the local, quaint café and restaurant, Étoile. Being that I stayed in Torii-Kuguru, I found that unless you are staying near the train station or towards the center of Okayama...

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LONELY PLANET
Exploring Japan's Wild North
With its wide-open spaces, national parks, active volcanoes, forests of silvery beech, forlorn coastlines and remote fishing towns, Hokkaidō is ideal for road trips.
Japan is famous for its efficient rail system and doesn't exactly scream road trip. But ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Coffee-siphoned bonito-flavoured soup in Tokyo
Gyorai (本枯中華そば 魚雷) is a unique ramen shop in Tokyo's Bunkyo ward that sets itself apart from most others. They opened in 2010 and is operated by the Bond of Hearts group – a Nagano-based collective slowly expanding its reach acro...

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LONELY PLANET
Top choice shinto shrine in Nikkō
A World Heritage Site, Tōshō-gū is a brilliantly decorative shrine in a beautiful natural setting. Among its notable features is the dazzling 'Sunset Gate' Yōmei-mon.
As the shrine gears up for its 400th anniversary a major restoration programme i...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Grilled eel (unagi) along Narita's Omotesando
Kabayaki fans won't want to miss this. Unless you're on the Narita Express straight for the airport/central Tokyo, it's worth stopping by in Narita itself to sample one of the local specialities at Kawatoyo (川豊) alone.
 
Nestled half-wa...

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THE JAPAN NEWS
 
FUNABASHI, Chiba — The Children’s Museum at the Funabashi Andersen Park in Chiba Prefecture offers children a chance to become Thumbelina, the heroine of the famous fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875).
On a recent day, the voices of children playing the char...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
A peaceful campsite surrounded by colorful tents
Mount Tateyama in Toyama Prefecture is probably the easiest mountain to reach in the Japanese Northern Alps. It can be easily accessed with the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route that connects east and west bases of the mountain (in Nagano P...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Traditional crafts created in Sabae, Fukui Prefecture
Tradition and craftsmanship have long been a part of the history of Sabae City in Fukui Prefecture. The combination of unique, high quality local materials with processes that have been fine-tuned through generations of labor crea...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
 
Trying out Tokyo's first and only snake cafe!
Sometimes you just want a cute companion to spend your afternoon coffee with. A furry puppy, a purring kitten, a fluffy owl...all of these can be found in various animal cafes throughout Tokyo. Recently, with Tokyo's temperatures steadi...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Enjoy the outdoors and animals at Nishiyama Zoo
Nishiyama Park is an expansive park where visitors can immerse themselves in an oasis of nature. Located in the heart of Sabae City the park is quite a rarity for a city of this size and one of the top destinations in all of Fukui Prefe...

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