Life in Japan– category –

Introduction I work as a bartender at a rock bar in Kyoto, and most of the people I talk to across the counter are travelers from overseas. After a few drinks, the questions start coming. Where should I eat? Is it OK to tip? And one that...

Introduction: "Which Convenience Store Has the Best Fried Chicken?" Hi, I'm Newton, a bartender at JAM HOUSE, a rock bar in Kyoto. A lot of travelers from overseas visit our bar, and one of the questions I get asked the most is surprisin...

Introduction Traveling around Japan with a huge suitcase is not fun. Tokyo Station. Shinjuku Station. Crowded subway trains. Long staircases. Tiny elevators. And then there's the moment you realize your hotel is a 12-minute walk from the...

Introduction If you're traveling around Japan, there's a good chance you'll ride the Shinkansen at least once. Tokyo to Kyoto. Tokyo to Osaka. Osaka to Hiroshima. Tokyo to Kanazawa. The Shinkansen makes traveling between major Japanese c...

Introduction Japan has one of the best railway systems in the world. It's fast. It's clean. It's usually incredibly punctual. And trains can take you almost everywhere you want to go. But there's one problem. Japan's train system can loo...

Introduction If you're planning your first trip to Japan, you've probably seen the word "Suica" somewhere. YouTube videos. Travel blogs. TikTok. Reddit. Almost every Japan travel guide seems to tell tourists: "Get a Suica card." But do y...

Introduction Japan is often described as one of the safest, cleanest, and most organized countries in the world. But if you're visiting Japan for the first time, you might also notice something interesting: There are a lot of unwritten r...

Introduction If you're planning to visit Japan during the New Year's holiday, you may notice that the atmosphere feels very different from the rest of the year. Many travelers wonder: Is New Year a good time to visit Japan? Are shops and...

Introduction If you're planning to visit Japan in spring, you've probably dreamed of seeing the country's famous cherry blossoms. Every year, millions of people travel across Japan to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of sakura (cherry bloss...

Introduction If you're planning to visit Japan in autumn, you've probably heard that Kyoto is one of the best places in the country to see autumn leaves. Every year, millions of Japanese and international tourists visit Kyoto to enjoy th...