DEEP JAPAN
 
Karaoke no Tetsujin (Karatetsu)
Karatetsu is my go-to karaoke place. The reasons are clear.
1. Cheap
2. Carries one of the most number of songs, which is perfect for someone like me who enjoys singing songs in English.
The prices are pretty mind-blowing in comparison to places like S...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
A traditional ryokan deep in the Osaka countryside
Nanten-en is a very traditional ryokan with natural hot-springs, deep in the countryside of southern Osaka Prefecture. Surrounded by the forests and hills that mark the border with Wakayama Prefecture, it is hard to believe that one ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
The 46th Nihonbashi-Kyobashi Festival
Venue: Main street of the Nihonbashi and Kyobashi district When: Sunday - Oct 28th 2018 ,  11:00am - 3:00pm
The very first Nikkyo parade took place in 1972 to commemorate the completion of the National Highway. This year, a grand parade of over 2...

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DEEP JAPAN
 
Come to Kuramae if you like craftsmanship and things that are made well, things made by hand. And come if you like quality coffee, tea, and chocolate.
This is a small neighborhood. It is residential, but sprinkled with small stores, ateliers, and a surprising number of good cafes.
 
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LONELY PLANET
 
Gion is the famous entertainment and geisha quarter on the eastern bank of the Kamo-gawa. While Gion’s true origins were in teahouses catering to weary visitors to the nearby shrine Yasaka-jinja, by the mid-18th century the area was Kyoto’s largest pleasure district.
The best way ...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Good food and drinks as a hiking reward
Venue: Beer Mount When: Jun 15th - Oct 15th 2018 ,  1:00pm - 9:00pm
Mt. Takao is one of the most popular hiking mountains in Japan. It's a beautiful, easy hike that attracts visitors of all ages and capabilities.
In addition to its natural beau...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
You can now prepurchase your Ghibli tickets online
I'm sure they are out there. But at the moment, I've yet to meet a person who hasn't been impressed by, if not become a fan of, Studio Ghibli after watching one of their productions.
One of the most endearing attractions for both loc...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Yummy by name and by nature in the Niigata countryside
It may seem unusual that in a part of Niigata often dubbed as yukiguni, or snow country, there's a gelato shop which has been a staple on the local foodie scene since 2010.
The store is frequented by visitors far and wide, and on...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Night Museum of the Lights
Venue: Osaka City Hall When: Nov 4th - Jan 31st 2019 ,  5:00pm - 10:00pm
The historical lifeblood of Osaka has always been its waterways. So much so that it became a merchant city, trading with other cities with the canals that criss-cross the city.
While t...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Where the red spider lilies weave a magical web
Venue: Kinchakuda When: Sep 15th - Sep 30th 2018 ,  9:00am - 4:30pm
For fifty weeks of the year, the town of Koma (one stop past Hanno on the Seibu Ikebukuro line; 50 km from Ikebukuro, Tokyo) could be just about anywhere in rural Japan...

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