Hiking Mount Tateyama is like walking on top of the world with majestic sweeping mountains above a sea of clouds. Walking along this mountain ridge line with the track sloping down on your right and left and views in all directions is something you cannot capture on film and something you will remember for the…
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Food We love the food in Japan and so of course, we want to bring home Japanese food! Fortunately, Japan has so many perfectly packaged food souvenirs. These beautifully presented treats are due to the omiyage culture in Japan. Omiyage is the social obligation of bringing back small gifts from trips for family, friends and…
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The famous tuna auctions of the Inner Tsukiji Fish market have moved to Toyosu, however, the original outer markets and stalls are still on the original site. The outer markets are well worth the visit for fresh sushi and sashimi and more fish products than you can imagine! Some stalls will cut the fresh tuna…
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Some of my dear family, friends and colleagues are planning their trips to Japan and I’ve been asked about what to pack. Besides the obvious, there are some additional things you will need when travelling in Japan. These are our top tips! Passports and Visas Passports – make sure they are still valid for 6…
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Tokyo Tower is a worldwide recognisable icon of Japan, so should this be on your to do list when you visit Tokyo? Tokyo Tower was completed in 1958 and at 634m is the worlds tallest self supporting steel structure, standing 3m taller than the Eiffel Tower. It also functions as a broadcast antenna. If you…
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Getting them up in the morning! Japan really suits a teenagers lifestyle, everything opens late and stays open late so win-win! Feeding them We have three teenage boys, I’m not sure about you, but our boys eat a lot!! A bargain sushi train might be really reasonable but by the time our boys are done…
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Ryokan is a traditional Japanese Inn and we highly recommend staying in one for at least one night for a unique and authentic Japanese experience. Ryokan can be more expensive so here is everything you need to know to make the most of your stay. Choosing a ryokan Searching for ‘ryokan’ in English does not…
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Gacha-Gacha or Gachapon (also called Gashapon) are capsule vending machines found all over Japan. Inside the plastic ball is a mystery toy, collectable or even facecloth! Gachapon is onomatopoeia for the sound made when turning the handle of the machine ‘gacha’ and the sound as the ball comes out of the chute ‘pon’. Our kids…
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Any traveller to Japan will be very familiar with the Japanese convenience store, or konbini, as they are known locally. If you haven’t been to Japan, then let me introduce you to the wonder, the magic and the marvel of Japanese convenience stores! Japanese convenience stores are true to their word – they are conveniently…
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One of the biggest concerns for many families when travelling is what the kids will eat. On our first trip to Japan our youngest was a very fussy eater (2yo) and survived on convenience store bread and the tube of Vegemite we brought with us! Now he’s a fantastic eater and every trip he looks…
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