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Where to shop: Utrecht for that rare quirky book you can’t find anywhere else

Where to shop: Utrecht for that rare quirky book you can’t find anywhere else

Posted on Sep 8, 2013 in Things to do, Where to shop |

Ditch the e-reader for a day and head out to Utrecht for some good old-fashioned book buying. This select bookshop, owned by bibliophile and radio star Hiroshi Eguchi, is well stocked with volumes both new and old, and also offers an extensive range of weird and wonderful one-of-a-kind books by domestic and overseas artists and authors. Found on the way from Omotesando Station to the Nezu Museum, it also boasts one of the largest collections of independently...

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Things to do: Visit a Japanese miso factory

Things to do: Visit a Japanese miso factory

Posted on Sep 7, 2013 in Daytrips, History of Japan, Must see, Things to do |

Okazaki City is located southeast of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture and prospered in the Edo period (1600-1868) as a castle town and an important post-station along the Tōkaidō Road. History In the Sengoku period (1467-1568), the area of modern-day Aichi Prefecture was controlled by the Matsudaira clan, who would later be known as the Tokugawa and who in 1600 established a shogunate that would control Japan’s fate during the Edo period (1600-1868). The first...

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What to buy: Essential Tokyo souvenirs

Posted on Sep 5, 2013 in Japanese technology, Must see, Things to do, What to buy, Where to shop |

25 only-in-Japan gifts, from chopsticks to Be@rbricks No trip to Tokyo would be complete without some souvenir shopping, but scoring the ultimate omiyage can be a real pain sometimes. We’ve made life easier by picking 25 great Tokyo souvenirs, ranging from the traditional (incense, combs, lucky charms) to the downright quirky (tooth-shaped jewellery, anyone?), and most of them are sold close to the city’s main sightseeing spots. Happy shopping, and remember:...

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10 Things Japanese People love to do in Autumn

Posted on Sep 5, 2013 in Japanese customs, Stories about Japan, Things to do |

1. Dig up the old camcorder for Sports day festivals at schools. Health and Sports Day (体育の日 Taiiku no hi), also known as Health-Sports Day or Sports Day, is a national holiday in Japan held annually on the second Monday in October. It commemorates the opening of the 1964 Summer Olympics being held in Tokyo, and exists to promote sports and an active lifestyle. The first Health and Sports Day was held on October 10, 1966, two years after the 1964 Summer Olympics. October...

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Where to shop: Tokyo’s top 6 department stores

Posted on Sep 5, 2013 in Must see, Things to do, Where to shop |

Department Stores Tokyo is home to some of Japan’s biggest department stores, rivaling most around the world. Shoppers can spend the entire day wandering the floors of a Tokyo department store, where primarily fashion and home decor make up the bulk of the goods sold. Throughout the day, visitors can go to a Depachika, or department basement gourmet halls, commonly found throughout the city’s biggest department stores. Here, customers may spend hours walking...

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Only in Japan: Try this “dirt menu” at Ne Quittez Pas with actual, … dirt!

Posted on Sep 3, 2013 in Must see, News, Things to do, Where to eat |

It reads like a palate-pleasing menu. You start out with a truffle soup, followed by oysters and then a main course of flounder with risotto and vegetables. There’s a side of potatoes and you finish it off with a scoop of ice cream. Here’s the twist — this all comes with a generous helping of dirt. Not normal, backyard variety dirt, special nutrient-rich soil. The unique tasting menu is the creation of Toshio Tanabe, a former gymnast and boxer turned...

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