Kobe City, the town that needs no introduction! If you’re planning a visit to this romantic port city and you’re thinking about adding some pizzazz to your trip beyond just indulging in mouthwatering Kobe Beef teppanyaki, you’re in for a real treat!

Rokko Meets Art 2023 beyond is here to light up your day (and especially your night) with an artistic extravaganza.

Are you done with all the major attractions in Tokyo and looking for something different to spend a day near the megacity? Well, Seibuen Amusement Park is on the list.

As a Showa-born millennial, Seibuen Amusement Park, or Seibuen Yuenchi in Japanese, brings back all the childhood memories.

Dear blog, happy 19th birthday.

(There’s a photo only because each post requires a thumbnail photo.)

There’s no photo for this 19th anniversary post. It’s kinda like how your nineteen-year-old offspring is probably not even there to celebrate their birthday with you so there isn’t any picture to be taken to begin with.

Things feel like they fall apart so that they can be put back together so that they can fall apart again so that they can be put back together again… and so on and so forth. I think that’s how things work, generally. Like buildings that are torn down to give way to new developments, regardless if the new developments are better or the city or worse. Things like that happen all the time. read more

Hello travellers! If you are planning to travel to the Kansai region soon, this post is for you.

As many of you might be aware, there have been announcements of a massive price hike all types of Japan Rail Passes, which have caused many keen tourists to have second thoughts about booking their flights to Japan, given airfares nowadays are not exactly the most affordable either.

Although I think that international travelers are still enjoying huge benefits in saving if they properly utilize their now more-expensive-passes compared to us residents here who could not even get our hands on those delicious discounts, I do want to give an alternative if you are looking for something else, especially when you are bored of the usual (and now very, very crowded) Kyoto and Osaka. read more

If you have been to Japan even once, I am pretty sure that you have had an intimate encounter with one of the greatest inventions in the world: washlet.

In fact, many international travelers are so impressed by Japan’s toilet system that they can never forget about their first experience using one. And more often than not, I have heard that it is one of the things they miss most about Japan. I mean, just recall the involuntary sighs of “ahhhh….” when you place your behind onto a spotless, warm toilet seat on a freezing winter night. (Don’t worry, it’s not because someone sat there for a long time before you.) Who would have thought that doing your business in the lavatory could be such a blessing! read more

One of the things that international travelers look forward the most visiting Japan is food experience.

There are DMs flooding my inbox non-stop asking about the best food to enjoy in various cities of Japan. While it is easy to identify each region’s meibutsu (popular gourmet/specialties) , things get a little shrouded in mystery when it comes to Tokyo, the world’s largest and busiest megacity.

Why? The reason is simple. Tokyo has everything.

It was warm. Beyond warm. The sky was clearing out, as if Hina from “Weathering with You” has just stretched her arm wishfully far into the blue above and beyond, with surrounding clouds gradually drifting away, revealing glimmering rays which warmth filled my core.

I remembered when I checked the day before, the forecast read cloudy. But who cares.

“Sasuga desu…” they laughed, so impressed and surrendered. I couldn’t help but feel pleased, and let out a relieved sigh. The soft shore breeze tickles lightly wafting through my cardigan. There were sparkles of magic in the air, so light and soothing. read more

How many of you have actually heard of the region “Hanshin-Kita”? Being a self-professed Japan addict who has traversed many grounds off the beaten path of all 47 prefectures, I am ashamed to admit that it too, missed my radar.

Please bear with me for a second to get the semantics out of the way: the word “Hanshin” (阪神), is taken from the second word from Osaka (大阪) and the first kanji from Kobe (神戸), and in “onyomi” (okay let’s not get there today) pronunciation it makes the word “Hanshin”. The world generally refers to Osaka, Kobe and the surrounding areas in between these two cities in Kansai. read more

When you type the phrase “Itami City” into Google and hit search, the first few pages that turn up are all flight and hotel booking information.

That’s right, very few know Itami more than just it being home to an airport and a pit stop between transits, while having the limelight stolen by the world-recognized Kansai International Airport nearby. To add to its agony, despite the name “Osaka International Airport (Itami)”, the airport is neither international (in present days), nor located in Osaka. Right now it serves only domestic flights, and is technically situated in Hyogo Prefecture. read more

Dazzling, unapologetically flamboyant, aspirational. I marveled at the unusual atmosphere of Takarazuka City, atypical of the modern urbanscapes you often witness in Japan.

A drove of exultant ladies of preened attires walked side by side down the “Hana-no-Michi” (Flower Street), beaming with excitement.

Oh, that’s right. They must have just had a fantastic time over at Takarazuka Revue.

I started journaling again. Just like the 9-year-old me.

And 10, and 11, and 12, and 13. By the time she turned 14, she was writing 20 pages per day.

I am not even joking. That was how much I wrote. In fact, writing was probably the only solace in my life back then. There wasn’t much to look forward to, really. I remember spewing the entire insides of me–still raw, bloody and undigested–onto lined papers was the utmost priority. Over homework. Over TV. Over friends. If I actually had any. read more

Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture has long been a well-loved mountain resort town with mild summer climate, given its easy access barely 1-hour away from Tokyo if you hop on the shinkansen.

It is especially popular as a destination for summer vacation for both domestic and international travelers with its cool temperature. However, winter is often a skipped season as ski and snowboard enthusiasts often just make a beeline to more famous ski resorts like Hakuba and Shiga Kogen in the same prefecture. If you are looking to spend a more relaxed, slow-paced holiday away from the crowd in your own privacy, I have just the right spot for you. read more