At the onset of a vacation, it might be fun to indulge at fancy restaurants and on little shopping splurges. But after a few...
Tokyo Tomari: Sawanoya Ryokan, a Taste of Old Tokyo
The neighborhoods that still retain the feeling of old Tokyo are ever dwindling. Many buildings were destroyed during WWII, and commercial development is little...
Travel Smart: Benefits of Renting a Pocket WiFi in Japan
Now that you’ve started tackling the logistics of your plan for Japan, when searching for WiFi Rentals and SIM Card options, you’ve probably come...
SOFTBANK Nationwide Network Failure, Millions of Users Affected Across Japan
A notice to all Softbank users: From 1:39PM on December 6th, the network for Softbank users across Japan, concentrated in the Kanto and Kansai...
The Ultimate Guide to the Japan Rail Pass: From Plan to Purchase
No doubt, while on vacation in Japan, transportation can be one of the largest (and perhaps unexpectedly expensive) expenses. Train systems across the country...
Book Lovers 1 Day Tokyo Itinerary
For some people, clubbing or going out might be the highlight of a vacation, but hey, introverts love to travel too! There are a...
Quick Tips for Train Manners in Japan
You’ve likely seen pictures of video or the trains in Tokyo stuffed past capacity, office workers nearly spilling out of the doors during the...
A Guide to Karaoke in Japan featuring the Most Popular Chains
When you think of karaoke, maybe you picture a single spotlight on a stage, groups of friends gathered on barstools trying to convince some...
National Holidays in Japan 2019 and Travel Tips for the 10 Day Golden Week
How many of us have had this happen. You get into your destination city, and your first day out, you’re ready to make your...
Movie Theater Guide and Discount Days in the Shinjuku Shibuya Area
Sure, you could stay home and stream movies on your computer, but there’s still nothing quite like cozying up in the seat of a...
Tokyo Tomari: Introducing Wise Owl Hostels Shibuya
Making its appearance as the first spotlight tomari in our new article series, we’re happy to introduce a new generation hostel, Wise Owl...
Navigate Japan Offline With These 3 Apps!
The hotels are booked, your itinerary is set, and you’re excited to head to Japan for some much needed exploration. If you happen to...
Best 3 English Booking Sites for Ryokans, the Traditional Japanese Inn
Now that we’ve moved past a wave of late summer typhoons, fall is finally in the air! With the cooler weather and fall foliage...
Air BnB Policy Changes in Japan And Where to Book Alternatives
In 2013, AirBnb made its launch in Japan and quickly became a go to site for booking from abroad. With options ranging from homestays...
Regional Specialties: Fukuoka’s Top 3 Ramen Spots
During your stay in Japan, if you find yourself in the southern island of Kyushu, stopping into the city of Fukuoka. Fukuoka, found in the...
Must Check! Shopping at Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street
Shinsaibashi-suji is located at Chuo-ku ward, one of the wards of Osaka. It is famous because of the 600m roofed shopping arcade. Along the...
Pocket Wi-Fi Rental at Narita Airport
Rent a Pocket Wi-fi for Easier Travel As we wrote in the post “Pocket Wi-fi is Now an Essential Item for Travelers“, having a stable...
Basic Guide to Hot Spring “Onsen” in Japan
Japan has thousands of natural hot springs and resort towns that surround them. Going to an “onsen,” hot springs in Japanese, is part of...
Left or Right? Japanese Escalator Etiquette
If you are first time visitor to Japan, you may be surprised that Japanese people automatically stand on one side and keep the other...
Typical Reasons Trains Delay in Tokyo
There are many reasons trains delay. If you have ever taken any JR trains in Tokyo, you might have seen some confusing operation status...
2018 Public Holidays in Japan
Before or after you plan your travel to Japan, it’s worthwhile to check if there are any public holidays during your stay in Japan,...
Use LUGGAGE-FREE TRAVEL for Easier Travel in Japan
JTB, Panasonic, and Yamato Holdings will launch LUGGAGE-FREE TRAVEL, a luggage transportation service for foreign tourists in January 2018. The service will enable foreign tourists...
Where to Turn in Your Exchange Order to get JR Rail Pass in the Airports
For many foreign tourists, Japan Rail Pass is a must buy when they are planning to travel throughout Japan by JR railways. You need...
What You Should Do When You’ve Lost Your Personal Belongings in Japan
Otoshimono (落し物)are “lost items” in Japanese. A lot of you may have heard that lost items are actually found in Japan. It’s kind of...
How to Get to Major Concert Venues in Japan
With the coming Johnny’s events such as Waku Waku School of Arashi, Kanjani’s Entertainment Jam, V6 LIVE TOUR 2017 and so on, fans are...
Buy a Unique Little Souvenir Using Your Leftover Coins -Gacha in Airports-
Many visitors who are about to finish their trip in Japan may find some left over Yen coins in their pockets. Usually, these coins...
New Languages Available Now on Automatic Ticket Vending Machine and Automatic Fare Adjustment Machine from Tokyo Metro
Aiming to make ticket buying more convenient for foreign visitors to Japan, seven languages are now available on all the stations* of Tokyo Metro...
Earthquake Safety Precautions in English by Tokusuru Bosai Project
Japan Weather Association’s “Tokurusu Bosai” Project website has released new contents in English titled “避難（ひなん）の心得（こころえ） 地震編（じしんへん）for foreigners” (Hinan no kokoroe jishinhen for foreigners), which...
Check Coin Lockers Availability Online in Real Time
Many travelers may encounter a situation where they want to leave the heavy luggage in train stations. Sometimes this can be frustrating since it...
How to Receive Your Mail at an Airbnb Apartment Address
The number of visitors staying at Airbnb and other vacation rentals in Japan increased dramatically in the past few years. This post is about...