JAPAN TRAVEL
The Starbucks of Takoyaki
Does takoyaki sound familiar to you? Takoyaki, which translates to grilled octopus, was first popularized in Osaka in 1935. Most people would simply describe it as octopus fried in balls of wheat batter but there is more to this Japanese street food.
These m...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Ode To The Temple Of Poultry
Sometimes we come across products that are more popular overseas than at home. For example, Bossa Nova, one of the most beautiful music genres, is wildly popular around the world, and highly respected in the music community, but not in its home country, B...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
A 24-Hour Hot Springs In Yamanashi Prefecture
If you are stuck in the Yamanashi area and cannot find a hotel or don't want to spend too much on accommodation, why not stay overnight at this 24-hour onsen called Kaisen Healing Resort Spa. This onsen is famous for its power stones that...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Experience Making Everyone's Favourite Rice Cracker
You would be forgiven for thinking that senbei rice crackers were the ninja of Japanese food. Hiding in plain sight in literally every kitchen, store and duty-free shop around the country, senbei are the masters of concealment. If y...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Explore Kites From All Around The World In Niigata
The Shirone area of Niigata has a long and colorful history with kites. The region has an annual kite festival with origins dating back to the mid 1800s, but if you're not nearby at the time of the festival the Shirone Kite Museum is...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Three Dimensional Art Fun
 
My daughter first visited this museum on a field trip with her gakudo (after school program). She enjoyed it so much she cajoled us to go as a family on one of those calendar holidays.
Social media photos of sidewalk and street artists and their amazing 3D...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Enjoy These Limited-Edition Snacks At Various Niigata Stations
If you've headed through Tokyo Station, Narita Airport, or Haneda Airport, it's likely that you've seen Tokyo Bananas on the shelves before. The regular variety of this much-loved snack is a banana-shaped sponge cake, fil...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Grilled Sweet Potato Triangles
Strolling through Kawagoe's famous Kurazukuri Zone (Old Storehouse Zone), we spied a sign advertising sweet potato onigiri. Curiosity and hunger made us duct into a small and dark shopping alley where we found Imotaro, a humble shop run by men who seeme...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Discount Ticket To Hakone
If you live in the Kanagawa and Tokyo areas and want to spend a day or two to relax and unwind, then Hakone is the place. Get the Hakone Freepass discount ticket to get there and enjoy the beautiful scenery and the many activities that Hakone has to offer.
T...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
 
Three generations of Ogami take care of guests
Kaminoyama Onsen south of Yamagata City is not far from Zao Onsen and its legendary snow monsters. The ski slopes here are not nearly as famous as those of the Zao Ski Resort, but Kaminoyama has a stop on the Yamagata Shinkansen line, ...

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