Geisha, written 芸者 in Japanese, literally means “person of art.” The first kanji, 芸, conveys the meaning of art or performance, while 者 refers to a person, and…
I’ve never been good with my hands. I remember trying pottery as a teenager, and my creations ended up looking like a baby had smashed some clay into random…
Here’s a secret: Japan is a beautiful country no matter when you choose to visit. Every season and every month offer something special. In other words, it’s always…
To compare traveling to Japan to video games, if the main quest is culture and sightseeing, then food is the biggest side quest. There are tons of must-eat…
I’ve been living in Tokyo for 6 years and working in the Japan travel industry for just as long, and this is probably the question I get asked…
The king of souvenirs in Japan is probably chopsticks. You can buy them everywhere, they’re cheap, don’t take up space in a suitcase, and are actually practical when…
After seven years working in the Japanese travel industry with travel agencies and booking websites, and helping thousands of international visitors plan their trips, I noticed that traditional…
Calligraphy, also known as shodo (書道), is the art of dancing your brush—not on canvas, but on rice paper. The end result is a beautiful form of writing…
Japan being an island, the country has close ties to the oceans and seas. And this connection is lived on through its fascinating aquariums (or 水族館, Suizokukan). If…