Category: Japan Photos
I almost returned the first tap beer I ever bought from a bar in Japan. About ¼ of the glass was filled with a heady frothy top. But I quickly discovered that this is how ...
The Kyoto Imperial Palace 「京都御所 Kyōto Gosho」 was home to the Imperial Family for over 1,000 years. The Imperial Household Agency is the caretaker of the Imperial Palace here in Kyoto, and also the current ...
The La Porte Shinsaibashi 「ラ・ポルト心斎橋」 when viewed from the ground, looks just like a samurai sword… The building has some high end fashion stores like Zara, an upmarket cake shop and more. It’s next door ...
The Oni 「鬼」 statue stands guard in front of a traditional Edo period Japanese shop in the historic Bikan District of Kurashiki. Ogre Demon: Red skin, crazy hair and horns About Kurashiki Kurashiki 「倉敷市」 The ...
When people ask me what are the “must do” things in Japan, the only food experience I recommend is having dinner at an izakaya. Drinks and food flow quickly with the all-you-can-drink and all-you-can-eat sessions ...
Onsen 「温泉 hot spring baths」 are easily the most relaxing places in Japan. If you can treat yourself to a luxury Japanese onsen, the experience will be all the more relaxing, as you will usually ...
I‘m usually a very healthy person. Most of my meals are organic. But when I’m traveling Japan, I only really get a decent meal in at dinner time. While I love Japanese food, I want ...
The pagoda at To-ji is the most viewed temple in Kyoto. Not only because it is almost 55 metres high, making it the tallest wooden tower in Japan… but because it is easily seen from ...
High school in Japan feels quite militaristic. Discipline is rigorous. Chores are timed to the minute. There are very little, if any, free breaks. Students can be at school for 12 hours a day. Working ...
Hakone Shrine is a popular day trip from Tokyo. This shrine was founded around 750AD, and its hillside location has deep esoteric Buddhism meaning. Around the time of the shrine’s founding, ancient beliefs said that ...
This is the typical Japanese bicycle. In the Japanese style of mixing and shortening English words, the word mamachari comes from mum and chariot. Although this style of bike is mostly used by Japanese mothers, ...
Even though I’ve lived in Japan, the feeling I get when flying back into the country for my annual trip always gives me a rush. If you’ve ever traveled overseas, you know the feeling. It’s ...
A handful of photographers in Japan spawned my love of photography. One of those inspirational shooters is David A LaSpina (A.K.A. Japan Dave). Dave was one of the photographers that got me interested in High ...
Spring means time for sakura 「桜 cherry blossoms」 in Japan. It’s also a season where many festivals take place. A lot of these festivals are centered around the cherry blossom. Sakurai festival in Okazaki These ...
It’s estimated that there are well over 5 million vending machines in Japan. Vending machines in Japan have been around since the 1800s. While any traveler to Japan is familiar with the standard drink vending ...
Fukuoka has a reputation of being the city of kawaii girls. Even before the recent virtual Cute Ward – kawaii-ku in Japanese – was created, people all over Japan would tell me: “you should visit ...
Visitors to Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto will notice that the 1000s of torii lining the paths aren’t all the same. Torii is Japanese for a traditional gate, typically found at shrines and some temples. Not only ...
The JR train from Kansai International Airport to Shin-Osaka takes 50 minutes. If you missed the multiple convenience stores inside the airport and need some food, drink or a cheeky beer, the Kiosk on the ...
Kohji Matsubayashi is an audiophile, tennis fan, Linux and Vine developer, amateur photographer and loving father. Living in Tokyo, Kohji was the first person employed to translate Instagram into Japanese. But he has has over ...
Kyoto looks beautiful in all seasons. In summer, the bright green trees shine to provide great contrast against the cities temples and shrines. Kinkakuji in Summer But there’s a downside to summer in Japan… it’s ...
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