Ghibli’s Countryside: The Satoyama Behind Totoro and Princess Kaguya
The rice-paddy lanes of My Neighbor Totoro, the bamboo groves and farm villages of The Tale of the…
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Miyazaki: Surfing, Palm Trees & the Unexpected Tropical Corner of Kyushu
Japan is many things to its visitors — ancient temples, neon cities, volcanic mountains, snowbound ski resorts. Almost…
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The Art of the Japanese Convenience Store: A Foreigner’s Deep Dive
The Japanese convenience store (コンビニ / konbini) is not a convenience store in the sense that phrase implies…
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Tokai Nature Trail: Japan’s Longest Hiking Route Explained
The Tokai Nature Trail (東海自然歩道) — established in 1974 as Japan's first long-distance hiking route — runs approximately…
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Tokyo Game Show: How to Attend Japan’s Biggest Gaming Event
Tokyo Game Show (東京ゲームショウ / TGS) — held annually in late September at the Makuhari Messe (幕張メッセ) convention…
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Vending Machine Culture in Japan: Everything You Can Buy from a Machine
Japan has approximately 4 million vending machines — the highest density per capita in the world, at approximately…
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Visiting a Japanese Izakaya Alone: Ordering, Seating & What to Drink
The izakaya (居酒屋) — Japan's informal drinking-and-eating establishment, conceptually between a pub and a restaurant — is one…
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Your Name (君の名は) Real Locations: Tokyo Spots from Shinkai’s Masterpiece
"Your Name" (君の名は / Kimi no Na wa, 2016) — directed by Makoto Shinkai (新海誠) — is the…
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Zao Onsen & Snow Monsters: Japan’s Most Surreal Winter Experience
On the ski slopes of Zao Onsen (蔵王温泉) in Yamagata Prefecture, something happens every winter that requires seeing…
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Zazen Meditation Experience in Japan: Sitting Still at 5am in a Rinzai Temple
At 5:00 AM in a Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto, thirty people are sitting. They have been sitting…
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