JAPAN TRAVEL
Take your wooden plate home
Shogawa is the name of a river that has its source in the mountains of the Takayama area in Gifu Prefecture. It runs through Toyama Prefecture and flows into the ocean of Toyama Bay.
The river, which flows for 115km through mountains areas, has always play...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
A Summer Event at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo
Venue: Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo When: May 18th - Jul 3rd 2018,  5:00pm - 9:00pm
The Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo opens their luxurious doors during the summer to welcome guests into their garden for a special firefly viewing event. Running annually until...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Exquisite fried seafood in Nakameguro
Tempura Miyashiro takes over an unassuming 100 year-old property in the cozy backstreets of trendy Nakameguro. The fragile exterior may not beg passersby through the front door, but be rewarded for stepping inside with an almost serendipitous din...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Business hotel with natural hot spring bath
I stopped here on the second night of my Shikoku Pilgrimage Road Trip. I needed a hotel close to the Awa Odori Kaikan, because I wanted to see their evening Awa Odori performance. I also wanted a hot spring bath, and this hotel was the only...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Tokyo does it up Okinawa-style in this annual festival
Venue: Yoyogi Park When: Jun 9th - Jun 10th 2018,  11:00am - 9:00pm
Okinawa has a deep allure for those living in and around Tokyo. That faraway island with its gorgeous landscape and laid back beach culture (or so we think of it...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Basic accomodation geared for motorists
I stopped here on the first night of my two-week Shikoku Pilgrimage Road Trip. I needed a hotel in this particular location (in the vicinity of temples 8, 9 and 10), easily accessible by car and with good parking—and Business Hotel Awa seemed t...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
A small shrine that holds an interesting yearly event
Shimomiya, a small shrine sitting amidst rice fields in the Aso caldera, would be totally unremarkable if not for one thing: an unusual event that takes place here every year from August to October. It’s a religious rite related t...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Sleep cheaply at a swish modern capsule hotel
Faced with a late night and early next-day departure from Tokyo one time, I decided (as I often do) that it would be easier to stay in town rather than go home then get up early and come back in again for my bus. Not needing luxury I look...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Hands-on Japanese paper-making experience
Washi is Japanese hand-made paper. While there are many places in Japan where washi is made, the Etchu Washi, Japanese paper made in Gokayama, has actually been designated as one of Japan’s Traditional Crafts. Etchu is the old name of present...

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JAPAN TRAVEL
Onsen hotel with ocean view and great seafood
Spacious rooms, onsen and gorgeous seafood dinners, what else can you want from your accommodation? This all and more you will get at Umi Akari, a hotel located at Toyama Bay in Himi City.
Toyama Bay’s panoramic views are not to be missed...

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