Japan Travel Tips & Hidden Gems
Well, everyone, I’m unfortunately grounded for the time being and not able to travel. As anyone who follows me on social media already knows, I was recently thrown from my bicycle while cycling in Okayama Prefecture and broke both my…
Ah the mighty Japan Rail Pass… When I originally penned this piece back in 2018, I didn’t think that I would ever need to do as significant an update as I am about to do. Alas, nothing lasts forever my…
It’s no secret that Japan is a country that is prone to many natural disasters. The nation has a long history of coping with mother nature’s ire and this in turn has shaped much of the local culture. Moreover, things…
“While the story of how Buddhism and Shintoism became intertwined is beyond the scope of this article (I’ll send you to Wikipedia for that) just know that the two religions co-existed until they were forcibly separated by the Meiji government…
In addition to Japan’s famed cherry trees that blossom in spring, the summer months of July and August are often one of the most popular times to visit Japan. After all, the kids are out of school and many firms…
What’s up fellow gym rats and fitness freaks! Rather than examine another off the beaten path destination, today we’re going to be taking a look at how you can stay in shape while traveling in Japan. If you’re anything like…
When you’re sliding into firstAnd your pants begin to burstThat’s diarrhea, diarrhea — The Diarrhea Song First up, allow me to apologize. If you haven’t already realized, this is going to be a pretty shitty article. Scatological puns aside though, the…
Though the Japanese love to opine about their wonderful and distinct four seasons, the island nation technically experiences five. Known as tsuyu in Japanese, this unofficial season loosely translates to rainy season in English. Typically, tsuyu runs from early June…
Japanese ryokan… Are they a quintessential experience or something that is totally overrated? If you do any digging online, you’ll find that many travel guides glorify staying at a ryokan as a “must-do” activity in Japan. That said, not all…
When is the best time to visit Japan? Truth be told, I must get asked this question at least once a week. I still don’t have a good answer. You see, Japan is amazingly beautiful year-round; each of the four…
What’s up my nerds and nerdettes? Did you know that the word “otaku” actually originally referred only to people who were just really into electronic gadgets? Only thereafter did it started to be applied to things like hardcore fans of…
One of the most peculiar things about Japan’s many tourism assets is the fact that a significant number of them are situated far away from metropolitan centers. While cities like Tokyo and Kyoto have large concentrations of venues to experience,…
“You what?!?!” Looking up across the table, I could see utensils paused halfway between plates and mouths as their holders stared at me, jaws agape. I was home in America for the holidays and I could tell that I had…
“Donny, why is it that you focus on off the beaten path destinations?” — Everyone Truth be told, I must get this question several times per week in one form or another. After all, aren’t the majority of tourists interested…
Ahhh Christmas… cue the traditional festivities, costly shopping, Christmas melodies, glittering lights, and…KFC?!?! What the hell? Yes you read that right! Christmas in Japan is definitely a different beast when compared to Western countries. From good gone bad to straight-up…