When you move to a new place (particularly one so far from home) there are lots of things you will need to get used to. Some things will be easy to adapt to, and others will take more time. One thing that ex-pats frequently have to get used to are new food types and changes…

If you have already seen the sights of Kumamoto and find yourself at a tourism loss of what to do, consider a day trip to the nearby city of Tamana for an outing that combines history, culture and relaxation. Location   View this post on Instagram   #repost @3oni6 via @PhotoAroundApp #とつけむにゃあ玉名 #タマてバコ #ななつ星 #ななつ星in九州…

Whether you’re in Kumamoto as a resident or a tourist, trying the local food should be top of your to-do list. Each region in Japan has its own specialist dishes, and Kumamoto has some particularly delectable treats to try out. If you want an authentic experience of eating traditional, local food, check out the popular…

What are bento boxes? For people who aren’t Japanese, many will be familiar with the word, but you may not know exactly what they are. You may also wonder what one puts in a bento box. Basically, a bento box is a convenient lunch box. Come to Japan for any length of time, you will…

When I order a meal in Japan, quite often my chosen dish is accompanied by some unidentified slop that makes me think… what was that? More often than not, it turns out to be a type of vegetable that is unfamiliar to my Western palate. So what are these strange vegetables – what do they…

Do you feel like you’re eating the same old thing every day? Want to shake it up with something a bit unusual? With a branch in Fukuoka (福岡), you can now also head on down to Kumamoto’s (熊本) new restaurant, Manly Australian Cafe&Bar, to try some unusual items on their Australian-style menu. A popular choice…

When you’re traveling out in the countryside, it’s not uncommon to find yourself driving for hours on end to reach your destination. If your travels take you to Kirishima (霧島) in Kagoshima (鹿児島) Prefecture and you’re in need of a short rest, why not stop off at this pretty little waterfall to take in the…

One of the most challenging things about living in a foreign country is adapting to a new climate if it varies greatly to that of your home country. As both the temperature and weather conditions in the UK are consistently middling, I had never experienced weather of any real extremes before moving to Asia. While…

While the popular cat cafes are usually associated with Japan, you may be interested to know that the first ever cat cafe was actually opened in Taipei (in 1998). However, Japan is where the trend has really taken off and there are dozens of cat cafes across the country, with more than 50 in Tokyo…

Ever feel like you want to stay somewhere with the luxury of a big, fancy hotel but with the quiet, understated charm of a ryokan? There are countless onsen hotels in Amakusa, with Shimoda boasting dozens to choose from. We stayed at the Amakusa Shimoda Onsen Garasha – a small Japanese style hotel with Western-influenced…