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Samurai Studio

  • Category:Experience
JAPAN TRAVEL
Be a samurai at this Asakusa-based studio
Why not become a samurai on your next visit to Japan? A few blocks from Asakusa's Kaminarimon Gate, visitors can do just that at the truly exclusive Samurai Studio.
 
Open for a limited time, visitors can try from a range of full-spec authent...

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Living in Fushimi - Part Two

  • Category:Experience
JAPAN TRAVEL
Kyoto's sake-brewing district
During my two months in Kyoto, I stayed in the Fushimi District, which is very different from Downtown Kyoto in the Gion and Sanjo area, as well as around Kyoto Station. Fushimi is a lot more residential and suburban, so there are a few things I would li...

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Sushi & Sashimi for Beginners

  • Category:Gourmet
LONELY PLANET
 
This is an excerpt from the food and drinks chapter of Lonely Planet's Tokyo guide.
The first thing most visitors in Tokyo are intent on eating is either sushi (す し or 寿司) or sashimi (刺身). Sushi is raw fish served with sweetened, vinegared rice, while sashimi is slices of ra...

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Tori-No-Ichi (Day of the Rooster): a Guide to Tokyo's Lucky Festival

  • Category:Festival
LONELY PLANET
 
Location: Otori shrines, Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan
Dates: Every 12 days in November
Level of participation: 2 – buy a rake for luck
Taking place on the Days of the Rooster (according to the Chinese zodiac), this event normally happens twice a year. In the occasional years when it occu...

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Forest Bathing In Kochi's Temples

  • Category:Shrine and Temple
JAPAN TRAVEL
Old Tiger Henro 6
Forest bathing, shinrin yoku in Japanese, refers to the restorative effects of relaxing in nature. I felt I was doing this, bathing in the forests, when I henro-ed at Kochi’s Temples 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32. They were all havens of natural and untouched surroundings....

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Living in Fushimi - Part One

  • Category:Experience
JAPAN TRAVEL
 
A guide to a long-term stay in Kyoto
Recently I spent two months living in Fushimi, Kyoto. It was a challenging but rewarding experience, and in this article I will provide some advice, tips, and information on how to go about living in Kyoto for a longer duration of time. If you a...

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Cafe Wakakusa in Nara

  • Category:Cafe
JAPAN TRAVEL
 
 
Enjoy crêpes and cappuccino in a global-minded cafe
Just a 3-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station and close to the Higashimuki Shopping Arcade, Cafe Wakakusa is one of Nara’s lovely little treasures. Run by Hiro and Sumie, a global-minded couple, Cafe Wakakusa welcomes traveler...

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OISHII / Staple Autumn Fish Packs a Crunch

  • Category:Gourmet
THE JAPAN NEWS
 
Herb-crusted pasta
In this column, chefs and cooking experts share recipes that are easy to prepare at home.
Sanma, or saury, is a fish traditionally served in autumn. Chef Ryuichi Hamasaki used his oven skills to turn the fish into a stylish and crispy dish.
Hamasaki — who owns ...

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The Fixer's Tour of Secret Tokyo

  • Category:Tourism
LONELY PLANET
 
Shinji Nohara knows Tokyo like no other. A lifelong local, he’s the ‘Tokyo Fixer’, the foodie who fed fugu (puffer fish) to Anthony Bourdain, who consults with some of the world’s best restaurants, and who regularly guides the great and the good around Tokyo’s lesser-known highlig...

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‘Samurai’ Performers Try to Clean Up Tokyo

  • Category:Event
THE JAPAN NEWS
 
“Who the heck did this?!” People walking in a busy shopping district in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, turned their heads to look in the direction of the loud voice.
Casually dressed in felt hats and kimono, the members of a samurai performance group, Jidaigumi Basara, drew fire tongs from...

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