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Attending a Real Japanese Festival: Awa Odori Dance Experience (Tokushima)
Culture & History

Attending a Real Japanese Festival: Awa Odori Dance Experience (Tokushima)

For four days every August — specifically August 12th through 15th — the city of Tokushima (徳島) on…

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Attack on Titan Real Locations: Hita City (Oita) & Beyond
Experiences

Attack on Titan Real Locations: Hita City (Oita) & Beyond

"Attack on Titan" (進撃の巨人 / Shingeki no Kyojin) — Hajime Isayama's manga (2009–2021) and its anime adaptation —…

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Aso-Kuju National Park: Volcanic Plateaus & Wild Horses in Kyushu
Nature & Outdoors

Aso-Kuju National Park: Volcanic Plateaus & Wild Horses in Kyushu

Aso-Kuju National Park (阿蘇くじゅう国立公園) encompasses the Mount Aso caldera (covered extensively in the dedicated Mt. Aso article) and…

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Aomori Nebuta Festival: The Giant Lantern Float Parade That Lights Up August
Culture & History

Aomori Nebuta Festival: The Giant Lantern Float Parade That Lights Up August

On the evenings of August 2nd through 7th each year, the streets of Aomori City (青森市) are taken…

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Aokigahara (Sea of Trees): What It Actually Is — A Sensitive Guide
Culture & History

Aokigahara (Sea of Trees): What It Actually Is — A Sensitive Guide

Aokigahara (青木ヶ原) — the dense forest at the northwestern base of Mount Fuji, also known as Jukai (樹海…

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Anime Pilgrimage (聖地巡礼) in Japan: How Fans Visit Their Favorite Show’s Real Locations
Experiences

Anime Pilgrimage (聖地巡礼) in Japan: How Fans Visit Their Favorite Show’s Real Locations

Seichi junrei (聖地巡礼 / "sacred site pilgrimage") — the practice of visiting real-world locations that appear in anime,…

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Amami Oshima: The Subtropical Island Between Okinawa & Kyushu
Destinations

Amami Oshima: The Subtropical Island Between Okinawa & Kyushu

Amami Oshima (奄美大島) occupies an unusual geographic and cultural position: it sits approximately halfway between Kyushu and Okinawa,…

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Akita Namahage Festival: The Demon-Faced Ritual That Still Terrifies Children
Culture & History

Akita Namahage Festival: The Demon-Faced Ritual That Still Terrifies Children

On New Year's Eve (大晦日 / Ōmisoka) in the villages of the Oga Peninsula (男鹿半島) in Akita Prefecture,…

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Akihabara for Beginners: How to Navigate Tokyo’s Anime & Electronics Mecca
Experiences

Akihabara for Beginners: How to Navigate Tokyo’s Anime & Electronics Mecca

Akihabara (秋葉原) — abbreviated by its visitors as "Akiba (アキバ)" — occupies approximately 0.4 square kilometers in Chiyoda…

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