JAPAN TRAVEL
Four days of fun shows all around the city
Venue: Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan When: Nov 1st - Nov 4th 2018 ,  10:00am - 5:00pm
From Thursday 1st November 2018 to Sunday 4th, the annual Daidogei World Cup will be held in Shizuoka City. At dozens of stages all around the city,...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
In Chiba, mother's is the place to be
Venue: Mother Farm When: Sep 15th - Nov 25th 2018 ,  9:00am - 4:30pm
Imagining wide, open spaces in Japan can be a chore, but anyone who has stepped outside of Tokyo proper will know that open space abounds. And space is good, especially when tra...

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TRAVEL GAIJIN
 
Shhhh. Don't wake the samurai spirits.
Matsushiro Town, as it was formerly known, may no longer exist as it recently became a suburb of  Nagano City. However, the Matsushiro area has retained much of its own character, culture and customs. The locals still consider it a distinct t...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
440 years of bargains
Venue: Boroichi Dori When: Dec 15th - Dec 16th 2018 ,  9:00am - 8:00pm
A sea of stalls and smiles. That's what it feels like strolling through Setagaya's biannual flea market. Held over two days in January and then again in December, the 440-year old Setagaya Bo...

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DEEP JAPAN
 
 
Handmade noodles and thick tonkotsu soup
Fuji Ramen in Asakusa serves tasty ramen in tsukemen with tonkotsu base soup and noodles made fresh at the shop.
This shop is special because it makes its own noodles. You can see the small workshop near the entrance. The noodles are straigh...

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GAIJIN POT
A brisk day hike accessible from Matsumoto
Hikers in search of a brisk day hike in the Northern Alps should consider Mount Jonen. This alpine peak overlooks the Azumino area near the popular Nagano transportation hub of Matsumoto City.
Just a few hours west of Tokyo, Matsumoto is a fan...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Experience local Tokyo by tram
One of only two remaining tram lines in Tokyo (the other is the Toden Arakawa line), the Tokyu Setagaya Line serves a tiny 5km stretch of south-west Tokyo. Its ten-station line is a haven for local feeling and one of the true little joys of suburban dis...

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LONELY PLANET
 
 
Area in Harajuku & Aoyama
This is Tokyo’s famously outré fashion bazaar, where trendy duds sit alongside the trappings of decades of fashion subcultures (plaid and safety pins for the punks; colourful tutus for the decora; Victorian dresses for the Gothic Lolitas).
Be warned: th...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
A standing sushi bar where the red rice is a winner
Nobody expects food at an airport food court to hit any great heights. But any self-professed fan of sushi spying a standing sushi bar at Narita International Airport is likely to have their curiosity aroused. A standing sushi bar i...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
The Birth of the One Eyed Monster Boy, Kitaro
In a recent article about our Trip to Tottori I mentioned our visit to Mizuki Shigeru Road in Sakaiminato. 
Shigeru Mizuki, born Shigeru Mura, was a very famous manga artist, but many are not aware that he was also a historian who wrote a...

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