Cherry blossom, or sakura (桜), is a national treasure in Japan. Each year, hundreds of thousands of Japanese people and tourists flock to cherry blossom viewing areas for hanami (花見) or flower viewing parties. This is not a new trend as flower viewing has been a pastime for many centuries. For a special treat, transport…

Mount Fuji is an iconic mountain and now an UNESCO World Heritage site. Mt Fuji has been central to the Japanese spirit for hundreds of years and has been a site of pilgrimage. The climbing season of Mt Fuji is short, just two months in July and August each year because the conditions on Mt…

Over a quarter million people climb the infamous Mt. Fuji every year during the short climbing season of July and August. You may have heard the horror stories of climbers being stuck in lines while climbing up the mountain and uncomfortable mountain huts filled to the brim. Hearing this, you may want to avoid those…

People are used to having and seeing round-shaped cream puffs. The cute pastries are perfect for sharing on Instagram with their adorable appearance and their delicious taste. They’re a crowd favorite in Japan as well with many pastry shops selling them as one of their most popular desserts. Now, while cream puffs are seen all…

LAWSON is one of the biggest convenience stores here in Japan. It has a wide range of products like food, beverages and other goods. It even has its own brand and a delicious luxurious coffee, a smoothly blended coffee with good fragrance called “the Machi Cafe”, available in the store. You’ve probably heard of the…

Out of all of the world’s beaches, which are the most famous? Perhaps, depending on our own location, we might think immediately of the Caribbean, or Bali, Hawaii or Seychelles. Unless you happen to live in Japan, your mind might not immediately think of that country as a beach destination with the exception of Okinawa.…

While travelling in Japan, you will notice that instead of water, complimentary tea of various types such as oolong, ryokucha, or sencha is often served at restaurants while vending machines and stores are filled with various types of bottled tea that you may not have even heard of in your country. Drinking tea is a…

Steam locomotives (SL) used to be a popular way of providing power to trains for traveling. They were first developed in Great Britain but subsequently influenced Japan in the later years. However, from the early 1900s, they were superseded by electric and diesel locomotives which retired some of them from service. SL trains were revived…

There are a few places in every country which although, sound very interesting, they do not get an influx of tourists but instead, are visited by adventure-seekers or deep travelers. When many people hear Japan, major cities like Tokyo or Kyoto typically spring to mind. Japan has a lot of lesser-known and unfamiliar places that…

At one point in our lives, we all dream of becoming a traveler. Lurking through the depths of what we can explore in our surroundings, we start to seek out things we never imagined during our younger days. Whether man-made or from nature’s blessings, there is sure to be a place that will fulfill our…