Japanese Craft Beer You Should Be Drinking

I’ve had the great fortune to travel a fair amount around Japan, from Hokkaido down to Kyushu (no Shikoku or Okinawa… yet!). I always like to find out something local about the place I’m visiting: local dishes, local sights, and local drinks. While I haven’t been everywhere in Japan yet to sample food and drink, […]

The Shinkansen

One of the most famous modes of transport from Japan is the Shinkansen, or bullet train, which has lines that stretch all over Japan. It seems almost like a rite of passage to ride one, being almost mythologized by those outside of Japan. Well, here’s a brief glimpse into my experience and some tips so […]

Ryokan: Traditional Japanese Inn

On our trip to Nagano over the winter, we decided to stay in a traditional Japanese inn, or ryokan, for our lodging. We stayed at Matsuya Ryokan in Nagano, a mere minute walk from the huge Zenkoji Temple and a 20-minute walk from Nagano station. I had been told it would be a very unique […]

Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park

When you tell people you are visiting Nagano, they will ask you if you’re going to ski or snowboard. After you tell them you aren’t, there is a small chance they will ask if you are going to see the snow monkey park. Every time you see snow monkeys hanging out in hot springs set […]

Rurikoji Temple

At the start of autumn, I found myself down in Yamaguchi city, on the southern part of the main island of Japan. I was exhausted and unable to motivate myself to do an insane travel schedule to see the nearby limestone caves, so instead, I decided to go to one of the top three temples […]

What to do if you have one day in Fukuoka

One of the unforeseen perks of my current job is that I sometimes get to travel to different regions of Japan to help recruit students. In the summer, I got to go to Kumamoto and Kagoshima. This fall, I was able to go to Fukuoka. I usually get one night in a hotel and a […]

Yasukuni Shrine

August 15th marked Japan’s surrender during World War II. One place that was conspicuously unvisited by Shinzo Abe and his cabinet was Yasukuni Shrine. If you haven’t heard of Yasukuni Shrine, here’s a brief run-down: This is where Japan commemorates all of those who died in service to the Japanese empire. While Yasukuni did not […]

Enoshima Island

Just off of the coast of Kamakura, south of Tokyo, lays Enoshima Island, a small island that hosts many interesting man-made and natural beauties. One rainy weekend during summer, I was able to make a stop on the island for my wife’s birthday and get a little taste of what the island has to offer.

Omiyage

There is a nice tradition here in Japan called Omiyage (oh-me-yah-gay), which is a gift that you bring back to coworkers, friends, and family upon returning from a trip. In the States, we have all manner of knick-knacks and chachkies that we can buy, but Japanese omiyage is a big industry, so the level of […]

Tokyo Disney Foods

Food is very important to any trip but Tokyo Disney is branding itself in Japan as a go-to destination for delicious treats, meals, and drinks. When I started poking around for ideas on what to do at Tokyo Disney, I saw many blogs, articles, and vlogs centering around the amazing food available in the parks […]