Japanese whaling in terms of active hunting of these large mammals, is estimated by the Japan Whaling Association to have begun around the 12th century. However, Japanese whaling on an industrial scale began around the 1890s when Japan began to participate in the modern whaling industry, at that time an industry in which many countries […]
The Difference between a Hotel and a Ryokan (Traditional Japanese Inn)
A ryokan contrasts a typical hotel in many ways. These traditional Japanese inns were first constructed around the 15th century, alongside the country’s highways. The hotel saw its beginnings in the early 20th century. A ryokan is usually located in the midst of scenic landscapes, contrary to the setting of any typical hotel which favors […]
Western Hotel or Japanese Ryokan Experience?
Most cities in Japan have a mix of typical hotels and ryokan. To experience as much as possible of their traditional culture, you could book into a ryokan. That’s if you can afford it, as they tend to appear more expensive than the hotels. Bear in mind though, that a ryokan room booking will normally […]
Experience True Japanese Accommodation, Stay at a Traditional Ryokan
A trip to Japan should be more than just another vacation – it should be an exciting and authentic adventure. One of the chief advantages of traveling is the ability to immerse oneself in the local culture and meet people from many different walks of life. Travel is as much of a learning experience as […]
Is Japan still Innovative?
By Philippe Huysveld “Innovate” means “Introducing something new or different,” which is not an easy thing to do. This can only be achieved by entrepreneurs willing to develop and promote something that does not exist yet. Therefore, Innovation is a key component of growth and economic development of a country. With 18.8 billions JPY spent […]
No Looting in Japan
My older brother has been a missionary to Japan for 30 years. Presently he is living in Kentucky. When I called to ask about the tragedy in Japan he assured me that if any people could survive a disaster of this magnitude surely the Japanese people could. He has a great admiration for them as […]
Comfort Women and my Two Missing Aunts
I have two missing aunts. The only thing I knew was that my two aunts were taken somewhere by Japanese. But they never came back home. My grandma went to the police station to search for the whereabouts of two missing daughters. Japanese police men kicked her in the face, head, stomach, back and leg […]
Japan, the Persian Gulf and Energy
By George Friedman March 15 2011 Over the past week, everything seemed to converge on energy. The unrest in the Persian Gulf raised the specter of the disruption of oil supplies to the rest of the world, and an earthquake in Japan knocked out a string of nuclear reactors with potentially devastating effect. Japan depends […]
Understanding the China-Japan Island Conflict
By Rodger Baker Vice President of East Asia Analysis Sep 25, 2012 Sept. 29 will mark 40 years of normalized diplomatic relations between China and Japan, two countries that spent much of the 20th century in mutual enmity if not at outright war. The anniversary comes at a low point in Sino-Japanese relations amid a […]
China Tests Japanese and U.S. Patience
By Rodger Baker Vice President of East Asia Analysis Feb 26, 2013 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has warned Beijing that Tokyo is losing patience with China’s assertive maritime behavior in the East and South China seas, suggesting China consider the economic and military consequences of its actions. His warning followed similar statements from Washington […]
Ferocious, Weak and Crazy: The North Korean Strategy
By George Friedman Founder and Chairman Apr 9, 2013 Editor’s Note: George Friedman originally wrote this Geopolitical Weekly on North Korea’s nuclear strategy on Jan. 29. More than two months later, the geopolitical contours of the still-evolving crisis have become more clear, so we believe it important to once again share with readers the fundamentals […]
China and North Korea: A Tangled Partnership
By Rodger Baker Vice President of East Asia Analysis Apr 16, 2013 China appears to be growing frustrated with North Korea’s behavior, perhaps to the point of changing its long-standing support for Pyongyang. As North Korea’s largest economic sponsor, Beijing has provided the North Korean regime with crucial aid for years and offered it diplomatic […]
Things to Consider While Living in Tokyo
Tokyo, one of the 47 prefectures, is the largest city and the capital of Japan. It is better called a metropolis rather than a prefecture and is the largest in the world with more than 30 million inhabitants. Having Useful Addresses: One important aspect of living in Tokyo is finding addresses. It is important to […]
Devil’s Tongue Kills 17 in Japan
In September 2008, a 1-year-old Japanese boy choked to death on devil’s tongue jelly. Glucomannan, the Latin name for devil’s tongue, is also called konjac, konjac mannan, konjaku, voodoo lily, snake palm, and elephant yam. The Japanese word is konnyaku. This was the 17th death from devil’s tongue since 1995, starting the frequently seen pattern […]
Explore a True Japanese Phenomenon when Cherry Blossoms Bloom in Kyoto
Come the hallowed season of spring all off Japan waits with bated breath as one of the country’s most stunning natural transformations takes place in plain sight. Beloved and revered for its breathtaking beauty cherry blossoms are no ordinary flowering plants in Japan. In fact since time immemorial, these trees and their delicate pink shaded […]
The Best Hot Springs and Resort Towns in Japan
Hundreds of hot springs known locally as Onsens dot the landscape of Japan. The natural hot springs have been developed into spas where people can rejuvenate and relax. There are many hot spring baths and resort towns in Japan. The popular Kusatsu Hot Spring Resort is located in the Gunma region. The town boasts of […]
Youth Hostels in Japan
Regulations and membership It is possible to stay at a youth hostel even if you aren’t a member, but it will cost you approximately 600 yen more per night at the privately owned ones (the government run youth hostels charge you the same regardless of whether you are a member or not). At the privately […]
Weekly Mansions in Japan
What is a Weekly Mansion? A weekly mansion is a furnished apartment for short-term stays. From a size vs price perspective, they are generally more expensive than other housing such as guesthouses and ryokans. One of the big differences between a guesthouse and a weekly mansion is that guesthouse accommodation is conducive to meeting other […]
Super Hotels in Japan
Super Hotels Although Super Hotels are classified as a budget hotel, they offer some pretty good services which separate them from other hotel chains. For example, they have a free breakfast buffet, well lit rooms and lobbies, wireless internet access, some buildings with all non-smoking rooms and even some hotels featuring hot springs (onsens). The […]
Serviced Apartments in Japan
Serviced Apartments in Japan Most serviced apartments are located in city areas in convenient locations and provide you with a more ‘homely’ stay than a normal hotel. In most cases, what separates a serviced apartment in Japan from a normal hotel are: 1. A separate work space 2. A kitchen area 3. Lounge area 4. […]
Business Travel Tokyo
The prominent economy of Tokyo attracts millions of business persons annually. The city being a hub for banking, finance and industry is completely geared to cater for those travelling for commercial purposes. The city is amazing. It’s a blend of style, glamour, success and interesting culture. It is also very much abuzz with activity but […]
Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Fallout
My heart goes out to the people of Japan. In 1970 I was a member of a hula troupe and we performed at The Narugo Hotel in Nagoya for three months. After landing in Tokyo, our troupe boarded the ‘bullet train’ to Sendai (the northern capital of Japan). Then we rode by car for a […]
Things to Do and Food to Eat in Fukuoka, Japan
Fukuoka isn’t that small of a place. Actual numbers bring the population to about the 5 million mark, with the city having roughly 1.3 million people. With that amount of people around, you know there has got to be something to do. On any day of the week if you look you will be able […]
Shibuya Hotels – Finding a Good, Cheap Shibuya Hotel
Shibuya Hotels are a great place to stay when you are visiting Tokyo. One of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Shibuya is known for its shopping and youthful vibe. It is easy to get to, has a lot of shopping, and plenty of attractions. Shibuya is also known as one of the places where […]
A Memory of Kyoto
It’s often that chance encounters, the unplanned events, linger, long after the excursions and the sights of a particular trip have faded. It was in 1998 when my wife and I visited central Japan, basing ourselves in Kyoto, having availed ourselves of cheap flights from Bandar Seri Begawan, courtesy of Royal Brunei. I can place […]
The Japanese Diet and Cold Noodles in the Summer
Noodles are a major part of the Japanese diet, hot and cold. Ramen, soba, and udon are probably the three most popular types of noodles served hot with a broth, or cold without one. Wikipedia tells us that most ramen is made from wheat flour, salt, water and kansui. Kansui is an alkaline mineral water […]
Japanese and Australian Sister City Relationship Suspended Due to Dolphin Hunting
Interesting article from September 2009 The Japan Times recently covered the suspended sister city relationship between the coastal towns of Broome in Western Australia and Taiji, in Wakayama prefecture, Japan. Their ties date back at least 100 years to the pearling industry in Broome. At that time, Broome was the biggest pearling center in the […]
Best Way to Learn Japanese – a Tale of Two Cities
Living in Japan is the best way to learn how to speak Japanese because you have the bonuses of having first hand experience of Japanese culture, the country and its people. But before you leave, you need to get your brain ready to take on Japanese and Japan. To lessen culture shock and fortify your […]
Not all you see is Sushi
Recently, after not having returned to Australia for 5 years, we made a trip home to celebrate Christmas and New Year with our families. After so long away, it was great to see all the various fare that I had loved, growing up on the Gold Coast. My sister cooked up her delicious recipe of […]
Living in the Land of the Rising Sun
A friend recently asked me what it’s actually like for a non-Japanese person to live in Japan, (knowing that my wife and I have lived here for 14 years). The hardest part about answering that question is fitting it into the length of an article, but as the Japanese say, “Ganbarimasu!” (I’ll do my best!) […]
Climbing Fuji-san
In the year 2000, my wife Mandy and I celebrated the new millennium by climbing Mt Fuji, which straddles the border of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures in central Japan. When we arrived back home two days later, every muscle in our body ached, our feet had blisters, and our toes were bruised, but it was […]
Summer Customs in Japan
Japanese summers are usually introduced by a warm, sunny spring season, but this year, the temperatures and conditions have been wildly erratic. However, ‘Tsuyu’ (the rainy season) has arrived on schedule as usual, bringing with it the typical heat and humidity that can be expected at this time of the year, and the realization that […]
Japanese Year in Sync with the Seasons
One of the first things I noticed, as a schoolteacher in Japan, is that so many countries start their school year in a different month. I come from Australia, where the school year is the same as the calendar year, and so the students begin their classes in January. Being in the southern hemisphere, Australia’s […]
Explore the Land of the Rising Sun
Japan, known as the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, is the most developed country in entire Asia. Most of Japan’s terrain is mountainous and is dotted with numerous dormant and active volcanoes. Situated on eastern most point of the continent, Japan is an archipelago nation which comprises of more than 3000 islands. Japan is a […]
Baseball in Japan
This article is a few years old but still interesting for the history of baseball in Japan In recent years, the arrival in the United States of players like Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui has enlightened Americans about the popularity of the sport in Japan. But most Americans don’t know that Japan has almost as […]
Japanese View of the Second World War
Nations, culture and what we are told act as kinds of lenses that greatly influence how we see events. We can gain a better appreciation of this by looking at how people from other cultures look at the same events in history and the world today. When working in Japan a few years back, I […]
Comfortable, Home-Away-From-Home and Cheap Tokyo Hotels
Tokyo is one of Japan’s forty-seven prefectures. It is situated near the eastern section of the Honshu main island. It is not only the most populous metro area in the world with 35-39 million people, it also has the largest metro economy in the world at $US 1.479 trillion. Matter of fact, Tokyo is regarded […]
Interesting Okinawa Hotels to Book During Your Stay in Japan
Okinawa is a great area to visit if you make a trip to Japan. Okinawa is a series of islands in the southern region of Japan. There are a variety of Okinawa hotels you could select from with luxurious and exotic ambiences. To narrow down your search here is a list of the most prominent […]
The Yakuza and the Use of Fear
Fear is a natural human response. It is as natural as breathing air or eating food to live. In fact, fear is a part of survival instinct. But in some parts of the world, fear is simply not acceptable. Anxiety and fear are seen as a weaknesses that cannot be allowed. In some cultures, ruthlessness […]
Child Fatalities And Gambling In Japan
On a business trip to Kobe, Fred and I went out for a drink. I wondered aloud if there were any statistics on pachinko fatalities. I was talking about the small children who suffered and died because of their parents’ gambling problems, not the gamblers who played pachinko. Immediately understanding exactly what I was talking […]
Best Souvenirs to Get in Japan
When traveling in Japan you are sure to encounter many intriguing items that are unique to Japan, which would make for fantastic gifts to share with your friends and family back home. So what are the best souvenirs to bring back from Japan? Luckily, many great gifts and souvenirs you can find in Japan are […]
The Colors of Origami – What Does it Mean?
The art of traditional origami has much more meaning behind it than just folding a piece of paper into a creative object. The color paper used has various meanings to the Japanese and can be used to create specific meaning to you as well by using your birthstone color or family crest color. The following […]
The Rich History of Origami
The art of paper folding has existed for at least 14 centuries. While origami is traditionally associated with Japan, scholars dispute the exact date and location of origami’s development. China has an established history of paper-folding as well, and early paper folding traditions have been documented in several European countries, including Spain and Italy. However, […]
Japanese Dragon Tattoo Designs and Meaning
The Japanese Dragon Tattoo is a very beautiful and colorful tattoo design and very symbolic, with its origins in myths and folklore. It is also very mystical, adding to the appeal of the Japanese dragon tattoo. Over the ages, from Egyptian times the dragon has represented good and also represented evil. However, the attraction of […]
Tokyo Weather and Climate Conditions
Tokyo weather – plan your Tokyo trip in advance according to the weather forecast. Tokyo weather can be extreme. September is the typhoon season. Few of them are strong, usually it ends with some hard-hitting winds. If you are visiting Tokyo at this time of the year, I recommend paying attention to the weather forecast. […]
How to See a Sumo Match in Japan
Sumo is one of Japan’s most popular and long-running spectator sports with a 2,000 year legacy. Performed in the past to entertain the Shinto gods, sumo still holds much weight (literally) in the modern era. In sumo, two rikishi or wrestlers enter the ring wearing a silk sash. After throwing salt and performing rituals and […]
Japan The Sumo-Way of Negotiating
By Philippe Huysveld “Difference is a concept you must own, deepen and further put into practice.” (H. Lefebvre) In export business, success depends, among others, on the ability of managers to understand and manage differences of culture and society. Understand means, above all, to be able to put oneself in someone else’s place and to […]
The Best Time to Visit Japan
Japan, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Cherry blossom or Sakura in Japanese. Those beautiful leaves, ranging from a bright pinky colour to a pure snow white. Only problem they are not round very long. Sometimes only a week depending heavily on the weather. Wind and rain are cherry blossoms biggest enemy. Of […]
The Cherry Blossom Festival – A Tribute to Japanese Culture
My first thought about bringing food to a festival seemed kind of strange to me. This is a Cherry Blossom Festival, right? Silly me, who knew the Cherry Blossom Trees, known as Sakura, didn’t give any fruit. That doesn’t stop whole families from partying into the night during this very (very, very) short growing season […]
Top 10 Snowboarding Spots Near Tokyo
1. Nozawa Onsen This is an incredibly picturesque mountain and village, located at the base of the mountain and blanketed in snow for the duration of the winter season. The township itself is slightly hilly, being at the very foot of the mountain, and absolutely oozes character. There are 13 free Onsens scattered around the […]