Explore Japan through local eyes. Discover hidden places, authentic food, cultural insights, practical travel tips, and experiences beyond the typical tourist routes.
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First Izakaya Experience: Japanese Food You’ve Never Heard Of
Watch: A Foreigner’s First Izakaya Experience: As a follow-up to our earlier guide on izakaya dining, here’s a video showing what a first-time visit actually looks like in practice. [Video placeholder: embed the YouTube video here] Japanese food covers an enormous range of variety, far more than you could realistically try during a short trip.…
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Japanese Curry
Japanese Curry: The Dish That Was Named Best in the World: In December 2022, the European food and travel site Taste Atlas published its “Best Traditional Food in the World” ranking, covering the top 100 traditional dishes globally. The dish that took the number one spot was, somewhat surprisingly, Japanese curry. A Result That Surprised…
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Beautiful Soul
First, thank you to everyone abroad who has taken an interest in Japan and come to love it. I truly believe that everyone reading this blog is, at heart, a genuinely wonderful person. If all of you get to enjoy your trip to Japan, that makes me very happy. And thank you, always, for reading…
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Japanese Donuts Worth Trying
Japanese Donuts Worth Trying: Mister Donut’s Pon de Ring and I’m donuts: Donuts might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Japanese food, but Japan has developed its own distinctive donut culture, with textures and styles genuinely different from what you’ll find elsewhere. Two names in particular stand out…
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Japan’s Beloved Croquette
Korokke: Japan’s Beloved Croquette, and the Varieties Worth Trying Korokke, Japan’s take on the croquette, is one of the most quietly popular foods among foreign visitors, sold everywhere from butcher shops and supermarkets to convenience stores and specialty restaurants. It’s simple, inexpensive, and endlessly variable, and once you know the main types, it’s easy to…
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Kansai Airport (KIX) to Osaka City: Taxi vs. Limousine Bus vs. Train
Kansai Airport (KIX) to Osaka City: Taxi vs. Limousine Bus vs. Train Compared: Kansai International Airport sits well outside central Osaka, so getting into the city takes some planning, and the right choice depends on your luggage, budget, and how much you value speed over cost. This guide compares the main options for reaching the…
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Haneda Airport to The Hotel: Taxi vs. Limousine Bus vs. Train
Haneda Airport to Your Hotel: Taxi vs. Limousine Bus vs. Train Compared: Haneda’s proximity to central Tokyo means every option on this list is genuinely fast, but the right choice still depends on your luggage, budget, and how much you want to avoid a transfer after landing. This guide compares the three main ways to…
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Narita Airport to the Hotel: Taxi vs. Limousine Bus vs. Train
Narita Airport to Your Hotel: Taxi vs. Limousine Bus vs. Train Compared: Once you land at Narita, deciding how to get into central Tokyo comes down to a trade-off between cost, speed, and convenience. This guide compares the three main options side by side so you can pick the one that fits your priorities. Quick…
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Fruits Unique to Japan
Japanese Fruits Worth Trying: Wa-Nashi, Kaki, Mikan, and Dekopon: Japan’s fruit culture goes well beyond the famously expensive melons and strawberries covered elsewhere on this blog. A handful of everyday fruits, sold at supermarkets and fruit stands throughout the country, are genuinely worth trying specifically because they’re distinct from what you’ll find back home, or,…
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Japanese Roasted Sweet Potato
Yaki-imo: The Japanese Roasted Sweet Potato Winning Over Foreign Visitors: Yaki-imo, slow-roasted Japanese sweet potato, might be the most unassuming food on this entire blog, and also one of the most quietly beloved. It’s simple, inexpensive, and sold on street corners and in convenience stores throughout the country, yet it’s become a genuine favorite among…
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Why Foreign Visitors Love Japanese Umeshu
Umeshu: Japan’s Classic Plum Wine Has Way More Variety Than You’d Expect: Umeshu, Japan’s sweet, tangy plum liqueur, has been a staple of home and restaurant drinking culture for generations, traditionally the kind of thing grandparents brewed in a jar at home with green ume plums, sugar, and shochu. But the umeshu you’ll find on…
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Eating Raw Eggs in Japan
Raw Eggs in Japan Are Genuinely Safe to Eat, Here’s How to Try Them: In a lot of countries, eating a raw egg sounds like a risk not worth taking. In Japan, it’s a completely normal, everyday part of the food culture, and there’s a real reason it’s considered safe here. If you’ve never tried…
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