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A Geek in Japan is your complete guide to Japanese culture and society. Written by an English speaking Spaniard living in Tokyo for the past 10 years, Héctor García, the book flows from Japan’s ancient ...
When getting around Japan, there is one issue that tourists will frequently encounter: how to deal with luggage. And it happens more than once during any visit, usually when moving between cities. For example, one ...
Formally nishikigoi 「錦鯉」, the decorative carp is more commonly called koi 「鯉」 and since the 1800s has been bred purely for its aesthetics. The formal name nishikigoi literally means “brocaded carp”, brocade being the art ...
There are 17 World Heritage Sites in Kyoto. Nijo Castle is the only castle of them all. In the middle of Kyoto, Nijo-jo is easy to get to, and with such a long history is ...
My first experience of Japan was strolling through the streets of Amerika-mura 「American Village, アメリカ村」 in Dotonbori, Osaka. A friend of mine was living nearby in Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture, when way back in 2009 I ...
Eat and live like a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk by staying at a temple in Japan. Shukubō 「Japanese temple lodgings, 宿坊」 are offered throughout the entire country. Zen Buddhist monks are vegetarian, and when staying ...
Like Japanese New Year celebrations, Christmas in Japan is done in a very unique way. Well over 80% of Japanese engage in various Shinto Buddhist practices, but aren’t exactly religious. In the lead up to ...
At larger shrines in Japan you will often find a small juyosho「visitors center, 授与所」 which as well as selling general information about the shrine (e.g. maps or a written history of the shrine), usually offers ...
Good luck in exams, safety in traffic, prosperity in business and finding someone to marry… all types of good fortune that can be obtained from a small amulet - the Japanese omamori 「お守り」. Omamori 「amulet, ...
Inside the Kyoto Imperial Palace are sparse and regal grounds. Numerous halls hold National Treasures. The park surrounding the Palace is a large, lush and green space in the middle of the city. One special ...
The convenient Japanese vending machine drink. The Kocha Kaden Royal Milk Tea is my go-to sweet tea drink. Royal Milk Tea contains real cow’s milk, unlike many other tea and coffee drinks, which use a ...
Asakusa is most famous for the iconic Senso-ji 「Senso Temple, 浅草寺」 with a huge lantern hanging from the main entrance gate, its long path lined with stalls and its five storied pagoda. From Asakusa Station, ...
Just about everything you see at a shrine in Japan is a symbol. At Kamigamo-jinja, 1 of 17 World Heritage sites in Kyoto, the most predominant symbols are two standing sand cones, immediately visible upon ...
On a Thursday morning in April, just before lunch time, Hiroshima is quiet. Very quiet. I take a little nap, head propped against my backpack, as I wait to check into a capsule hotel. The ...
Fushimi Inari Shrine is a lot more than just miles of paths lined with vermilion torii gates. Situated on Mount Inari 「Inari-yama, 稲荷山」 this UNESCO World Heritage site in Kyoto contains many sub-shrines, cemeteries, a ...
Entries to this competition have closed. Subscribe to email alerts for news on upcoming giveaways! Dear site visitor, You’ve been so good to me. I’m just one man with a passion for Japan, and your ...
When travelling, I’m not the kind of person who makes time for shopping. But when I do shop, I usually find myself near a train station… Shopping centres are almost always found at or near ...
Mirrors in Buddhism are a symbol of how we perceive life, death and the universe. Mirrors reflect, with no bias or influenced perception, everything that they see. Buddhism says that the individual and the universe ...
Car parks are a huge problem all over the world, with people often complaining of sky-high rates, poor facilities, and worse, poor security. In New Zealand, car parks have been pinpointed as hotspots for theft ...
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