It’s easy to get lost in the towering skyscrapers and bright lights when walking around the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, but if you look closely enough you will find a cramped alleyway called memory lane (known as piss alley to the locals). This local hotspot started out as an illegal drinking quarter after World War...Read More
Nyuto Onsen is a collection of seven popular and remote hot spring inns, located in the Towada Hachimatai National Park in north-central Tohoku. The name Nyuto Onsen means “nipple hot spring” and comes from the suggestive shape of nearby Mount Nyuto. With a history of over 300 years, many of the springs were visited by...Read More
If you have done any research on Japanese cooking, you will have heard the term “umami”. All Japanese cookbooks, cooking shows, etc. will talk about “umami”. It is said this it is what gives Japanese food its unique flavor. The term is a shortened version of “umai” (delicious in Japanese) and “mi” (taste in Japanese)....Read More
Akihabara is a paradise for electric appliance and anime subculture fans. Akihabara started as a place where radio parts were sold just after the Second World War. Today Akihabara is famous as the cheapest place in Japan for electric appliances. It’s also well-known as a place of ‘otaku’ (Japanese word for geeks) including comic-book devotees,...Read More
I have heard Okonomiyaki called everything from Japanese pancakes to Japanese pizzas to savory pancakes. It is hard to describe exactly what okonomiyaki is since there is nothing else like it outside of Japan. If you break down the name, it might help. “Okonomi” means your choice or you choose, and yaki means grilled. There are...Read More
If you’re looking for a quick, tasty and inexpensive meal in Japan, noodle shops are the places to look for. Although, you don’t have to look very hard because they are everywhere. Walking into a noodle shop in Japan and ordering noodles is like walking into a Starbucks and ordering a cup of coffee. There...Read More
Osaka is said to be a ‘Gourmet Paradise’ for the Japanese and is famous for its specialties such as Okonomiyaki (savory pancakes) , Takoyaki (octopus dumplings) and noodles. Another specialty of Osaka, especially in winter is the poisonous fugu (pufferfish). Most of the fugu in Japan is caught in the Shimonoseki area (the water between...Read More
Tokyo retained its title as the Michelin guide’s world gourmet capital with the latest version of the Michelin guides published on Nov. 28, although the number of three-star restaurants fell slightly. This is the sixth consecutive year the capital of food-obsessed Japan has been awarded top honors by the publishers of a guidebook regarded by...Read More
Tsutenkaku is a symbol of Osaka.It means ‘tower reaching heaven’. The first tower, built in 1912, lived up to its name and was the highest in the East at that time. The original tower had an eccentric design that combined influences from the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Unfortunately, it was...Read More
We often get questions from people who are interested in taking our tours if it is possible to avoid fish in their meals. There is so much more to Japanese food other than sushi and sashimi, but escaping fish all-together is near to impossible in Japan. After all, it is a staple in Japanese cooking...Read More
