Those aficionados of Japanese cuisine who have snacked on sushi and slurped udon cannot consider themselves to be true gourmets until they have tried kaiseki ryori, that most traditional of traditional cuisine eaten in Japan. Kaiseki derives it’s meaning from the words for “hot stone” (seki) and “kimono pocket” (kai). Historically, it is said that Buddhist…

History has been made. After months of bitter campaigning the world finally knows that it will be Barack Obama, not John McCain, who will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America on January 20th. But when the election dust finally settles and Senator Obama becomes President Obama he will…

If you had time to explore every stop on the Kintetsu line, from Kyoto down to, say, Ago Bay in Mie prefecture, you would discover a descending history, from grand stone fortifications and temples to the watery shores of the Ise Peninsula, its craggy fishermen and abalone divers. Matsusaka in the center of Mie, is…

Japanese winters can be cold and brutal, especially in the mountain regions where temperatures really drop and the snow piles up. Getting out of the cities in the winter may be a daunting experience for those who are already missing the heat and humidity of summer but for skiers and snowboarders, Japan offers many, many…

Although Christmas and its Western trappings have become more and more popular in Japan, New Year’s or Oshogatsu as it known locally is the Grand Daddy of all Japanese holidays. Leading up to the end of the year, many people will take part at bonenkai or “parties to forget the year” with friends, former classmates…

If you’re looking for an interesting day trip to get away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, you might want to consider visiting Kawagoe in Saitama prefecture. Kawagoe is known as “Little Edo,” and there are many places of interest to visit in the city and surrounding area. Kawagoe is only about a 40-minute…

The world is getting fatter, and Japan–though still enviably slim in comparison to other developed nations–is no exception. As the nation’s waistlines expand, so do health risks. According to the World Health Organisation, a startling 27 percent of Japanese men, and 19 percent of Japanese women, are overweight, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of…

To attempt to apply one adjective to Takarazuka would be nigh on impossible; to expect an individual who has never seen this form of Japanese theatre live to fully comprehend the power, beauty and overwhelming sense of passion on show is extremely difficult. Takarazuka first came into being in 1913 in a small town of…

Aaron Guiel of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows has had a career in baseball that has taken him on a journey around the world – and up and down in the rankings. Now 37, this Vancouver, British Columbia native is currently a pro-baseball outfielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, having come a long way and several…

Many Japanese people are avid mountaineers, and mountain walking has always been seen as one of the nation’s favorite pastimes, perhaps starting with the Shinto priests performing traditional rituals on mountaintops of old. With about 75 percent of the Japanese archipelago consisting of mountains, it’s hardly surprising that there would be incredible rock faces, and…