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Every article on the site β hotel guides by station, day trips, and culture deep-dives. Filter by category, or just scroll with a drink in hand.
Kanazawa: Japan’s ‘Little Kyoto’ β Kenroku-en, Higashi Chaya & Omicho Market
Kanazawa (ιζ²’) owes much of its current reputation to a historical accident: the city was never significantly bombed…
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Kakunodate: The Samurai Town of Akita β Cherry Blossoms & Preserved Streetscapes
In most of Japan, the physical fabric of the samurai era has been lost β to the deliberate…
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Kagawa Udon: Why This Tiny Prefecture is Japan’s Udon Capital
Kagawa Prefecture (ι¦ε·η) β the smallest prefecture in Japan by area, on the island of Shikoku β has…
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Japanese Shrine vs Temple: What’s the Difference & Does It Matter?
Most visitors to Japan encounter both Shinto shrines (η₯η€Ύ / jinja) and Buddhist temples (ε―Ί / tera or…
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Japanese School Culture: What Makes It Different
Japanese elementary, middle, and high school culture is so different from Western educational norms that visitors who spend…
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Japanese Sake Explained: Junmai, Daiginjo, Nigori & How to Order
Sake (ι / ζ₯ζ¬ι / nihonshu) β Japan's fermented rice beverage β is one of the most technically…
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Japanese Horse Racing: How to Spend a Day at Tokyo Racecourse
Tokyo Racecourse (ζ±δΊ¬η«Άι¦¬ε ΄) β the largest and most prestigious of Japan Racing Association's (JRA) 10 facilities, located in…
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Japanese Funeral Culture: What Foreigners Should Know
The chance of a foreign visitor actually attending a Japanese funeral is low β Japanese funeral culture is…
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Japanese Convenience Store Food, Ranked: What to Buy from 7-Eleven, Lawson & FamilyMart
Japanese convenience store food is not all equal. The same chain's egg salad sandwich and its tuna mayo…
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