Cruising Around for Ecologically-Friendly Cars Everyone is told that Tokyo’s public transportation network is so efficient that people don’t need cars. But that’s what people who don’t drive say. The benefits of having a car in the city are myriad. When a destination requires train transfers, it can be much quicker to drive. When carrying…

Dante Carver discusses acting, growing up and that SoftBank role ”I always refuse the silly foreigner job. Like I said, I don’t want to get typecast. I try and stick to that rule. Those are the jobs I won’t do.” Those living in Japan and owning a television have no doubt seen the SoftBank commercials…

Writing an article about Craig Mod is quite a challenge, considering how deliberate and careful he is with the content he produces. His homepage stands out from other blogs with beautiful typography, pro-quality photos, and elegant prose composed during retreats into the mountains. Currently a self-employed designer, developer, and publisher, his latest project saw him…

The Wonderful Season of Christmas Cakes in Japan To many Japanese, the image of Christmas is a winter wonderland cloaked in a blanket of white whipped cream, accented by shrubs of succulent strawberries. Indeed, without religious connotations, Christmas in Japan is a holiday that centers on serving a special cake for dessert. In 1910, confectionery…

The exact location of Tamagasuku is difficult to pin down, at least at first glance. A generic name for the original core village, a number of geographical features, historical ruins and a couple of decent beaches have been added to the mix. A good place to start might be the modest town hall, as this…

If you were to ask 100 people the first food that pops into their head when they think about Japan, it’s a safe bet most would give you the same answer: Sushi. From its humble beginnings as a street snack during the Edo period, to the evolution of the California roll in Los Angeles during…

“The neat, tremendous garden of Japan” These Horned Islands, James Kirkup Having a theme while you travel always adds texture and depth to a journey. In the case of Japan, there are various options. You could, for example, base your trip around the peregrinations of the country’s more serendipitous writers, like Fumiko Hayashi, Ihara Saikaku,…

With the scarcity of vegetarian (not to mention vegan) food in the majority of mainstream Japanese eateries, it may be a little difficult to believe that vegetarian cuisine has a long history in Japan, one which spans back centuries, has deep cultural and religious ties and is still highly respected and revered in select spots…

Despite its national significance, and boasting a history of over 2000 years, it would be natural to consider sake as “kokushu,” or Japan’s national brew. Yet surprisingly the government only designated it as such in 2012, when the then Minister of State for National Policy launched a program and policies to promote exports of sake…

Mention the name Philippe Troussier and most Japanese respond with a sort of awed silence. This reaction can be largely attributed to Troussier’s reputation as the coach who transformed the national soccer team. From 1998 to 2002, under his careful watch, the Japanese team achieved its greatest successes to date, including first place in the…