Christmas If you are dreaming of a White Christmas in Japan you can certainly get the white and it’s easy to get to from Australia, however, Christmas is not a big celebration in Japan. You will hear Christmas music (minus the words) playing in the shops and Western shops will be wrapped up like a…
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Tokyo is the busy bustling heart of Japan. However, amongst this bustle, you will find parks and gardens, oasis of tranquillity right in the heart of the city. Tokyo has a population over one and a half times greater than the population of all of Australia in a space that is one sixth of the…
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One of Japans most amazing festivals is the Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival which is held each year on the 15th January in the snow fields of Nozawa Onsen. Nozawa Onsen is a picturesque hot spring town in Nagano Japan. It is famous for its multiple public onsens, the amazing ski fields and it is home…
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Okinawa is an amazing and surprising part of Japan. The Okinawa archipelago is a collection of islands in Southern Japan, some 600km south of the main islands. Okinawa has a subtropical climate and with beautiful clear waters and forested mountains, it is often called the ‘Hawaii of Japan’. Okinawa, with the presence of the US…
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Okinawa is known for Ryukyu glassware. Okinawa is part of the chain of Ryukyu islands, the most southern islands of Japan. Glassware began in Okinawa around the late 1860’s the time of the Meiji Era. However, after World War II, resources were scarce so empty glass bottles from American troops were recycled and used to…
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As a family with three boys, when we discovered a sword making experience with a traditional Japanese blacksmith outside of Kyoto we just HAD to do it! There are a couple of places that offer this experience, see below for details. Samurai and swords are synonymous with Japan and Japanese culture. Today there are still…
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Unfortunately Oodeo Onsen is now permanently closed. If you are looking for a hot spring experience near by try the Heiwajima Onsen. Onsens are synonymous with Japan and Japanese culture. However, it can be a very foreign idea for Aussies to be hopping in a big hot tub naked with strangers! Ooedo Onsen offers onsen…
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If you or your kids are into Gundam and have watched some of the anime then they will absolutely love visiting the Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba. The life-size statue from the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn Series is 19.7m tall and is awe inspiring, even if you have no idea what or who Gundam is!…
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teamLab are a group of Japanese artists that use digital technology and interactive art with exhibitions around the world. Their exhibitions range from individual artworks to restaurants with interactive displays to full museums. We visited teamLab Borderless in Odaiba, which closed in August 2022 and is relocating to the Toranomon-Azabudai Project (completion 2023). teamLab Planets…
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Ghibli museum is an amazing, whimsical place and if you’re a Ghibli fan you will find it hard to contain your excitement! Ghibli studio has produced some of the most iconic Japanese movies, including My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke and Kiki’s Delivery Service. The executive director of the museum and…
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