Although ostensibly an area that is little different from the rest of suburban Tokyo, it’s to Koenji’s credit that it doesn’t take much digging to discover that appearances can be deceptive. In this …

posted by  Tanuki | 6 years, 10 months ago | 1 comment

Takayama is a castle town high up in the mountains of Gifu prefecture (4-5 hours from Tokyo), overflowing with traditional charm and busy streets waiting to be explored. Renowned for morning markets,…

posted by  Tanuki | 6 years, 11 months ago | 1 comment

Kyoto is known for its hundreds of temples and shrines dotting the city. Quite a few are UNESCO World Heritage listed, and even those that aren’t offer beauty and charm in their art, gardens, or arch…

posted by  Tanuki | 6 years, 11 months ago | 1 comment

What are things that foreign tourists should avoid doing, so that both locals and tourists can avoid problems?

There have been a few cases of very srtupid tourists, like those who vandalised Meiji Sh…

posted by  Yubi | 7 years ago | 0 comments

"I tried disengaging from the conversation. “Well, it was nice talking to you!” I said. My student just stared at me expectantly, waiting for me to continue. After a moment of silence, I tried again,…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years ago | 1 comment

Foreigners staying near Narita Airport outside Tokyo will be offered sightseeing bus tours starting next month.

The tours are organized by the operator of Narita Airport, local municipalities and a b…

posted by  Tanuki | 7 years ago | 0 comments

What are the benefits of staying in Youth Hostels (Ryokans) compared to staying in AirBnB places? And how about the other way round? Please share your opinions for the benefit of travelers.

posted by  Yubi | 7 years, 1 month ago | 2 comments

In this blog post the guy complains how difficult it was to pass the theory test:

I looked rather out of place in the lectures, which were filled with devious-looking youths and wannabe bosozoku. The…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 1 comment

For many travelers, getting to live like a local and having the opportunity to connect with new people is a big priority. In Japan, this can be challenging due to the language barrier. Since half of …

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago | 1 comment

With one of the world’s longest-living populations, it’s not much of a surprise that spending time in Japan can have a positive impact on your health. Although people’s bodies (and minds) do react di…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 2 months ago | 1 comment