Tengu

Tengu Restaurant Tokyo

Tengu is a chain of izakaya restaurants found all over Tokyo.  I have been to a couple of them, but I find the one just outside the Shinjuku station convenient.  It is located upstairs of the UniQlo store right near the station exit.  We proceeded to have a great time eating some very tasty inexpensive dishes.  This Tokyo restaurant offers yakitori (grilled chicken gizzards, along with regular chicken parts) 126 Yen per skewer, kari kari gobo salad (deep fried shaved burdock root on a tossed salad with fried shrimp) 500 Yen, cheese pizza 600 Yen.  The restaurant serves the more traditional dishes like sashimi, salads, tempura, oysters, chicken katsu, to mention a few, all at a reasonable price.  This Tokyo restaurant serves drinks that are quite reasonable too, with 180 ml glasses of sake' for 399 Yen, glasses of shochu for 400 Yen, and mugs of beer for 500 Yen.  The izakaya is noisy with mostly working folks, but with super drinks and lots of great, inexpensive food, it's worth it.  For more information on this topic or Japan, please go to http://traveljapan-us.com/.

Sapporo Nijo Market

Sapporo Nijo Market
Just a few minutes walk from Tanukikoji Arcade in Sapporo, the Sapporo Nijo Market is an interesting place to visit. You will find the freshest fish, scallops, sea urchins, shrimp, squid, octopus and king, queen, and hairy crab. The taraba gani(king crab)of the highest quality can be found here from 5,000 yen to 7,000 yen, or more depending on size and quality. I personally purchased a very high quality large king crab, with all legs intact, hard shell and just caught for 7,000 yen. My purchase of king crab and other seafood items was made at the Maruichi Market from Mikami-san, but the vendors are very friendly, and if you buy enough you can bargain with them for a better price. Dried seafood is plentiful, and we just enjoyed the dried and smoked scallops, smoked octopus legs, dried squid, and some of the soy sauce prepared sea kelp.


We even had an early morning seafood breakfast at one of the restaurants in the fish market. At the Donburi Chaya restaurant I had the Kaisen assorted seafood bowl. 9 toppings including maguro(tuna)sashimi, salmon sashimi, ikura(salmon roe), hotate(scallop)sashimi, king crab meat, botan ebi(peony)shrimp, uni(sea urchin), egg roll, and yama imo(diced mountain yam) on a bed of delicious rice along with hot Japanese tea for 1,449 yen. You can try a steaming bowl of miso soup with crab inside as flavoring for an additional 200 yen. Awesome breakfast!

You can easily see why the Sapporo Nijo Market is a Travel Japan-US favorite.

Location: Just at the end of Tanukikoji Arcade on 2nd St. Fish vendors open at 7:00AM and close around 6:00PM. Restaurants open a little later.

For more information and pictures on Japan: http://travljpn.blogspot.com/.  For other articles on Japan, please go to http://traveljapan-us.com/.

Japanese Yatai

The Japanese Yatai, or portable food stalls, could be found in numbers along the streets of Tokyo and Fukuoka, and other localities in the past, but now are few and far between. Nowadays the yatai appear late at night and almost stealthily to avoid the police. The portable "food wagons" cook the food on site and provide benches or chairs for their customers.  The yatai operators usually serve ramen(noodles), oden(Japanese stewed vegetables), or fried and grilled food. On a recent trip to Japan I ate and drank at a yatai right outside the Shinjuku station late one night(around 11:30 PM)and had a bowl of hot ramen along with 2 large glasses of sake. Needless to say, the food, drink and company were excellent, and the tab “yasukatta”(inexpensive). This would definitely qualify as cheap eats.
If you are lucky enough to stumble across one in the evening, please be sure to stop in and have some food and drink. I think you’ll like it. Plus it’s a rather unique part of the Japanese culture and an experience that shouldn’t be missed.
It's especially good on a cold night with a hot bowl of ramen or a hot bowl of oden and sake to cut the chill.  This is a Travel Japan favorite!

Crab Crab Crab

Crab Crab Crab in Sapporo Japan. That’s all you can eat crab, in 90 minutes. Hard to believe-well it’s true. All-you-can eat KING CRAB in 90 minutes, for 4,000 Yen($50 US). In Susukino, the entertainment center of Sapporo, Japan, there is a crab restaurant called Ebi Kani Gassen, on the 11th floor of a commercial building where you can get this unbelievable meal. I had the 3,600 Yen($44 US) All-you-can eat(tabehoudai)assorted crab(King crab, Queen crab, Snow crab) in 90-minutes meal. Here’s what I got:

3-shrimp tempura and vegetable(sweet pepper)tempura

3-shrimp and crab sushi, shrimp tempura sushi

1-chawan mushi with lots of crab crab crab

3-very large platters of assorted crab legs and body meat

Those crab legs were super sweet!!!!

All that crab went well with 2 bottles(300ml each)of Chitosetsuru Junmai Ginjo sake.


Tips and notes:

The staff will only bring out what you can eat because crab is a valuable resource in Hokkaido Japan. Don’t order what you cannot finish.


The staff is a little slow in coming out to help you, so ask them with a “Sumimasen-Kani okawari!” (Excuse me-More crab please!) when you are getting low on crab.

Don’t forget-you must finish the crab on the plate before the 90-minutes.

How to eat the crab: Use the scissors provided to cut the crab shells-makes it a lot easier to get to the meat, and use the small spoon to dig out the crab meat from the body cavity or as you get to the outer reaches of the crab legs. Discard the shells in the big containers on the table.

This is a Travel Japan recommendation for hungry crab eaters. So go ahead and eat crab crab crab!

Location: A short walk from the Hosui Susukino subway station or the Susukino subway station. Address is 1-jo South, 4 West, 2-chome (1chi-
jo Minami yon Nishi ni-chome. On the 11th floor. 4:00PM - 12:00AM. Telephone: 011-231-3043. Restaurant name is Ebi Kani Gassen.


For more information on Japan please go to http://traveljapan-us.com

Hakone Prince Annex

Hakone Prince Annex Review

Upon arriving at the Odawara Station from Tokyo, we inquired at the local Odawara Visitors Bureau office in the station and the very nice lady there helped make us a reservation to catch the Hakone Prince shuttle. The shuttle driver met us outside the station next to the samurai statue. Upon boarding the van, the driver stored our overnight bags and when all the other guests arrived we drove out of the station. The driver was gracious enough to give us a guided tour of the Hakone area as we drove-but in Japanese.

The Hakone Prince Annex is the newer wing of the original Hakone Prince Hotel. The front desk staff spoke English and serviced us quickly and gave us tips on what to do in the area. There was a large sitting area just off the front desk with a great view of Lake Ashinoko. I think it doubled as a lounge.

The room:
The room was larger, much larger than the Shinagawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo. The room on the 1st floor had a back door which gave us access to the back lawn overlooking Lake Ashinoko and gave us a wonderful view. The room had nice furniture and the sitting table allowed us to have a cold beer and snacks to eat before we went out. The room had the deep tub and the bidet toilet. The safe in the room was a larger. Little older model that we liked. We also found that the “rotem buro” outdoor onsen bath was a mere 50 feet from the room. Although the onsen was small, the hot water and the cool air hitting your head made it feel almost zen-like. The men’s bath had the same nice lake view we had from our room.

The food:
Since we arrived off-season, the hotel was not full, and the restaurant limited meals to the Potomac Restaurant just past the front desk. The restaurant had that same great Lake Ashinoko view as the lounge. With a salad bar that was quite good, we found the meals quite good as well. For dinner we had the “set menu” beef tenderloin that was cooked to a perfect medium rare and very tender and with the cooked veggies and starch and a dessert of a Japanese roll cake with filling and coffee to end the meal. 4,500 Yen for the dinner.

Shopping:
There was a nice shopping area at Hakone-en next to the Hakone Prince Hotel where you could find food items, clothing, and souvenirs, including an aquarium and the Komagatake Ropeway station, and also a bus terminal for both the Izu Hakone Bus Company and the Hakone Tozan Bus Company.

Location:
Hakone Prince Annex, Hakone-en, Hakone Japan.

For more information and photos please go to http://travljpn.blogspot.com

For more information on Japan, please go to http://traveljapan-us.com.

Richmond Hotel Sapporo Odori

The Richmond Hotel Sapporo Odori is basically a businessman’s hotel in Sapporo, Japan, with smallish rooms with nice amenities.  The hotel has a small restaurant next to the lobby that serves good food and drinks, and desserts at reasonable prices.

I recently rented a double room of 177 square feet and found a small room with a double bed, a nice Regza 25” Toshiba digital TV, a bidet toilet, air conditioning a Sharp Ion unit, refrigerator, coffee pot and complimentary coffee and tea, and internet connection.

The staff is extremely helpful and very accommodating, the breakfast buffet is good, but the best thing about the hotel is its direct entrance into the Tanukikoji Arcade, nearby access to Pole Town underground shopping arcade, sheltering you from the inclement winter weather in Sapporo, Susukino entertainment district, Nijo Fish  Market, and the Nanboku Subway line.  If you walk through the Tanukikoji Arcade 3 1/2  blocks to the south, you will end up at the Nijo Fish Market where you can see and taste some excellent seafood including king crab and huge scallops fresh off the fishing boats.

To get there: From the new Chitose Airport take the JR train to and exit from the Sapporo Station, then take the Nanboku subway line from Sapporo Station to the Odori Station. Walk from the Odori Station through Pole Town underground arcade until you get to the south Exit #4,5,6,7, exiting Pole Town using the up escalator and go into the Tanukikoji Arcade and walk less than 100 yards until you see the Richmond Hotel Sapporo Odori sign.

For more information and photos, please go to http://travljpn.blogspot.com

For more information on Japan please go to http://traveljapan-us.com.

Sapporo Chitosetsuru Sake Brewery

Sapporo Chitosetsuru Sake Brewery
From the time you get there you are met with the large round Sapporo Chitosetsuru Sake Brewery cedar ball at the entrance, and you know that the adventure begins.


Once inside the museum you will be greeted by a fountain of pure water from the Sapporo area. This pure, clean water is the key ingredient of wonderful Japanese sake. Take a sip of the water from the fountain, and you will know that excellent sake is made there.

Take some time to look at the old implements that were used to produce the sake. You will notice many wooden barrels that were used by the sake makers of old.

The free sake tasting features 5 of the brewery’s sake, although many more types are made.

Start with the “junmai” grade, dry, about +4 on the Nihon Shudo scale and made from 100% sakamai, or special sake rice which is 40% ground away. Then try the second “junmai”grade with a sweeter fruitier bouquet. The Nihon Shudo scale is about +3. Then try the “Honjyozo” grade, made from sake rice and a shot of brewers alcohol at the end of the process to spike the flavor. Next try the “ginjo” grade, with a slightly fruity and nice bouquet. Finally try the “daiginjo” grade, the top sake of the brewery-smooth, sweet, and very good bouquet. All of the sake I tasted were excellent, and I ended up purchasing 4 bottles.

Location:  Nippon Seishu Company, about 5 minutes from the Bus Center Mae Tozai Line subway station,Minami San-jo, Higashi go-chome, Chuo-Ku, Sapporo.  The museum is open 10:00AM-6:00PM.  Only closed at year end and New Years.

For more information on Japan please go to http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Sapporo Crab Restaurant Kaniya

Sapporo Crab Restaurant Kaniya

Looking for a great crab restaurant in Sapporo, Hokkaido? Kaniya, a chain crab restaurant located in Susukino, Sapporo should make you happy. The crab restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere and great service by its staff.


We were ushered upstairs to the 3rd floor where we found tatami mat seating with a open well in the floor so you could rest your feet and not need to fold them. I opted for the “Kiyomizu” course set for 5,250 Yen which consisted of zuwai or queen crab. My wife opted for the king crab course for 4,900 Yen.

Course 1: The appetizers featured pieces of fried katsuo(bonito) or maguro(tuna)in soy sauce and boiled Hokkaido potato eaten with crab miso(innards)as a topping.

Course 2: Consisted of a chawan mushi mixture of crab meat and tofu-delicious!

Course 3: Crab sashimi-the crab was so sweet, it really didn’t need to be dipped in soy sauce provided-outstanding!

Course 4: Boiled crab legs and body meat. The crab legs were sliced for ease in accessing the meat. The crab was dipped into a mild vinegar mixture and complimented the crab taste perfectly-superb!

Course 5: Hot pot “nabe” of crab legs, rice noodles, enoki mushrooms, nappa cabbage, tofu, in a tasty seasoned sauce cooked over fire-delicious!

Course 6: Crab shumai(tempura crab balls)and mild peppers.

Course 7: Crab meat sushi maki rolls-3 pieces with a red miso crab soup.

Course 8: Dessert of Japanese pear, a very large and sweet grape, and a delicious rolled cake.

I ordered a side dish of vinegared sea cucumber(namako)which was crunchy and refreshing for an additional 430 Yen, and a 300 ml. bottle of cold Chitosetsuru junmai sake(the local sake) which was very good and went well with the meal.

Location: Kaniya Sapporo Main Branch: 2-11 Minami 4-jo Nishi, Chuo-Ku, Sapporo. Telephone: 011-222-1117. Open Weekdays: 11:00AM-3:00pm, 5:00pm-10:30pm. Weekends/Holidays: 11:00AM-10:30PM.

For more information on Japan please go to http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Tokyo Restaurant Ogo Ono Loa Hawaii

Tokyo Restaurant Ogo Ono Loa Hawaii

Looking for an inexpensive place to eat authentic Hawaiian food? Looking for Tokyo Nightlife? Try the Tokyo Restaurant Ogo Ono Loa Hawaii in Akasaka. Get on the elevator to the 5th floor of the Isomura Building and you will find a very large can of Spam as you enter for some delicious Hawaiian food and drinks. I met the owner and chef Ryoji Soranaka, Hawaii ex-pat and found him to be easy to talk to. I took relatives who live in Tokyo there and we ordered the lunch special-2 choices for 1,100 Yen-very reasonable for authentic Hawaiian food. The Kalua Pig(roasted, shredded pork)was tender and with just the right amount of seasoning, served on a bed of shredded cabbage with a scoop of rice, and a bowl of Spicy tuna(cubed maguro and tobiko with a special mayonnaise base chili pepper sauce on rice), and a scoop of macaroni and potato salad.

Ryoji won the 2007 Hawaiian Poke Contest, so you know that spicy tuna bowl was good. Too bad they had just run out of their famous Loco moco(fried egg over a hamburger patty over rice, smothered with brown gravy)-we wanted to try it. The neighboring table had the last serving. After all, the Loco moco was invented by Mr. Miyashiro of Café 100 in Hilo, Hawaii. Beverages they serve included Kona Brewing Co. Longboard ale. Ryoji mentioned that they have more on the menu for dinner.

This Tokyo restaurant Ogo Ono Loa Hawaii quickly became a Travel Japan must stop for authentic Hawaiian cooking.

Located on the 5th floor of the red brick Isomura Building, a minute walk from the Akasaka subway station. Left out of the Exit 1 of the subway station just after the Akasaka Biz Tower Building.

Look for the yellow and white sign. From 11:30AM to 2:00PM, M-Fand 6:300PM to 11:30PM, M-Sat.

For more information or more articles on Japan, please go to http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Tokyo Restaurant Kisoji

Tokyo Restaurant Kisoji Shabu Shabu

Looking for a place to unwind after a long day? Looking for Tokyo nightlife? Try the Tokyo Restaurant Kisoji in Okachimachi, near Ueno‘s Ameyokocho. Kisoji is a chain restaurant originally from Osaka. Walk downstairs to the basement and you will find a very lively place for some delicious food and drinks. The set course dinner meal I had was wonderful-from eye-pleasing petite appetizers to unforgetable shabu shabu and such attention to even minute detail. The best shabu shabu restaurant in Tokyo.


Mozuku - cold and refreshing vinegared seaweed with grated yam.

Unagi (fresh water eel) seasoned with soy sauce, then wrapped with kelp.

Kuri (chestnut) blended with tofu.

Sashimi (raw pieces of maguro(tuna) and hamachi(yellow tail)on a bed of ice.

Shabu Shabu - thinly sliced, well marbled beef strips, rice noodles, maple leaf shaped shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, sliced nappa cabbage, mizuna (Japanese mustard greens), kelp, and green onions cooked in a hot broth.

The beef strips are very briefly dipped in water boiling in a cast iron pot along with the other ingredients, then taken out of the pot and dipped in a goma(sesame oil)with grated daikon (Japanese turnips)and chili sauce, or a ponzu sauce with thinly sliced leeks.

16-grain rice is served at the end of the meal-just delicious.

Light and refreshing-green apple ice cream for dessert.


Meal is complimented by a cup of hoji(roasted) tea.

Kisoji is one of Travel Japan’s favorite restaurants in Tokyo. Etsuko gave exceptional service and was a great waitress!

Located at B1F, Ueno Kyodo Bldg,2-7-13 Ueno, Taito-ku. From 11:30AM-3:00PM and 5:00PM-10:00PM weekdays and Saturdays, Sundays & holidays 11:30-9:30PM. A 1 minute walk from Ginza subway Ueno Hinokoji station or a 5 minute walk from the JR Okachimachi station.

For more information on Japan, please go to http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Travel Japan Shochu: Distilled Spirits

Shochu: Japan distilled Spirits



Shochu, or Japan distilled spirits, can be described as “Japanese Vodka” because it is commonly made from barley, or “mugi“; sweet potatoes, or “imo“; and rice, or “kome”. More unusual sources of the drink are brown sugar, “sato”, buckwheat, or “soba”. As you travel Japan, try tasting some of these spirits and you will find them quite delicious mixed with a variety of drinks.

Although most famous in the southern Japan- Kyushu and Okinawa, really, shochu can be found almost anywhere in Japan. The Okinawa shochu is made from rice and is called awamori, stored and aged in caves. It can also be found in the Niigata area where rice is grown. One of my favorites is the Kumamoto “shiro” made from rice. I enjoy drinking vodka at home, usually neat or mixed with ice and water, and sometimes with chilled cranberry juice, but in Japan shochu can be mixed and drunk much more ways. A relative of mine in Kumamoto loves his barley based spirit mixed with warm water o-yu

Other combinations include: neat, on the rocks, with ice and water “mizu-wari”, sometimes with ice, water and pickled plum, called ume-shochu, and even with oolong tea or with citrus-quite popular.


The spirit is known in Korea as soju, which is somewhat similar to Japanese ones, but tends to be a bit sweeter in taste(Jinro, Chum Charam). In China it is called baijyu. I recently tasted Moutai, possibly a barley-based spirit that was served to President Nixon on his visit to China, but found it extremely harsh and difficult to drink. The Chinese love the drink, however.

Some believe the drink is good for the health, a preventive of heart disease and diabetes. If the sweetness of sake is difficult to stomach, try a high ball made from shochu-I think you’ll like it.

Japanese Truck Stops

Japanese Truck Stops: A Curious Phenomenon


Driving along the expressway in Japan and have to use the bathroom- or get the sudden hunger pang? Why don’t you pull over and experience the truck stops scattered throughout Japan. I have, and let me tell you it’s quite an experience.

First, the bathrooms. Large and roomy, with many urinals and stalls-walk in and wonder-where is the familiar western toilet with the seat? Well, there are just a few-the ADA ones. The rest require you to squat over a slot in the floor with a hood on one end. So which is the right way to use it? Face the hood and do your thing. When you’re finished and go to the sink to wash your hands, there is liquid soap, but guess what? No paper towels to wipe your hands. So you walk over to the hand dryers and turn the unit on-the blast of air will almost blow your wig off your head-seriously! You’re lucky if you get a heated one-especially in winter. Bring your own handkerchief to wipe your hands. Forgot your handkerchief-buy some in the 100-Yen store.

Next let’s talk about the vending machines. They look like normal vending machines, but with attitude! How about hot latte coffee or cocoa in a can? Feeling hungry? How about a hot Japanese oden stew in a can? Or how about hot french fries, or hot dogs, or fried rice balls?  Your 3G cell phone running out of juice?  Try plugging in to a cell phone vending machine.  Feeling tired? Try a cold bottled vitamin drink.

Looking for something more substantial to eat, or looking for an omiyage gift or souvenir of your trip? Walk a few steps further, through the automatic glass doors, and lo and behold, you will be in a large souvenir shop/konbini(convenience store). If you are looking for the local seasonal food or gift, you are sure to find it here. You might even be able to get to sample the product before purchase.

Japanese truck stops are a must see on your trip to Japan.

Japan Guide Omiyage

Japan Guide Omiyage


So you're going to travel Japan on a tour soon. Besides the basics, what else should you pack in your suitcase? Did you make a list of Japan souvenir items you wanted to buy there and bring home? How about a few inexpensive items you might want to bring with you to give to the tour conductor and travel coordinator in Japan? The term that I am referring to is "omiyage", the Japanese word for gift given in appreciation.

So what do you bring from home? Something small and inexpensive, but something that represents something made in your hometown. My personal favorites are small packets of Ka'u and Keaau grown Mauna Loa brand macadamia nuts, and small packages of Hawaiian Hula Hands ground coffee grown on the slopes of Mauna Loa in Ka'u, Hawaii. They are a great expression of appreciation at the end of your tour, and of great service in your hotels-Japan Guide Omiyage recommendation.

Try to make a list of what you want to buy while in Japan, and sometimes, when you are traveling in the different areas in Japan and are wondering if you should buy something you saw on the spur of the moment in a souvenir or gift shop-I say from experience, buy it if you like it. Many a time I have hesitated to buy something I've seen, and told myself that I would buy it when back in Tokyo or Kyoto before I left Japan- and found that it was not available. Many of the unusual things you may run across in your travels are regional items not always available in other areas. A Japan Guide Omiyage bit of advice.

For further information on this and other Japan subjects, please click here:  http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Japanese Konbini

Japanese Konbini-Convenience Stores with an Attitude:

So you think shopping in Japan is expensive? Think again. It can be quite reasonable, depending on where you do your Japan shopping. A curious phenomenon in Japan is the Konbini, or convenience store. These stores offer you a wide variety of goods, including ready to eat meals. Popular names like Lawson, Family Mart, AM PM, Sun R Us, and 7 Eleven are literally EVERYWHERE. On every street corner, even in the countryside.

On every trip to Japan, as soon as we arrive and check in to the hotel, my wife and I look for those familiar signs, almost as if they were comforting, and as if they were calling us to go in. Konbinis are mini superettes, but with attitude. Beside over the counter medications, soft drinks, film, tooth paste, hair products, and snacks, they come with packaged croissants, rice balls, prepared bento(boxed lunches), hot Japanese stew(oden), sushi sets, all the beer, wine, Japanese cold sake and shochu you can drink, candy, Japanese snacks, underwear, neckties, dress shirts, make up, copy machines, fax machines, mail service(allows you to mail packages, and accepts packages for delivery services(takkyubin-Yamato black cat, Pelican-san), and Western-style bathrooms.

Our standard buys are bottled water, an occasional beer or Japanese sake, the Japanese equivalent of Febreze, Shiseido aluminum ion foot spray, Japanese snacks, including Japanese green tea flavored Kit Kat bars, and Meiji Look chocolate-covered candy and Lotte chocolate-covered almonds.

Leaving early the next day for a side trip on the Shinansen, on the Tokyo subway, can’t wait for the restaurant in the Hotel to open-go down to that konbini and buy a Starbucks iced coffee, or hot coffee and pick up that hot croissant. Need a lunch to go? Try one of those bento lunches-they’re great! Japanese Konbinis are "konbinient" and not to be missed on your trip as you travel Japan.

For further information on this subject, please click here to go to http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

100 Yen Shops

100 Yen Budget Shopping:

So you think shopping in Japan is expensive? Think again. It can be quite reasonable, depending on where you do your shopping in Japan. A curious phenomenon in Japan is the 100 Yen Shop. Actually 105 Yen, to be exact, 100 Yen and a 5 yen consumption tax, or a little more than a US dollar, buys you a wide variety of goods. From a smaller one-story shop to a mega, 5-story department store, 100 Yen shops in Japan are the ultimate in budget shopping. At one dollar each, you can almost buy your neighbors and friends all a souvenir from your trip.

100 Yen Shops

Daiso, just a short walk from the Harajuku station, down the Takeshita-dori street and to the left is a large 100 Yen shop, and one of this writer’s favorite stops. Walk into the store and you will see shelves stuffed with a myriad of items to buy. There appears to be no order to the placement of items on the shelves, but that makes it more interesting and forces you to really look and discover interesting items. Items I have purchased include small chopstick rests, ceramic tea cups, sake pouring bottles(tokkuri) and sake sets, salt and pepper shakers, soup bowls, stationary, pens, strapping tape, reading glasses, men’s underwear, toed socks, cute aprons, house slippers, dress shirts, plastic containers, kitchenware, tools, laundry items, unusual Japanese signs, and much more.


Other Daiso shops in Tokyo include a Giga Machida store with 5-stories of items and 71,000 square feet and is located across the Machida station. There are over 2,500 100 Yen shops throughout Japan, with 660 in the Kanto area, 420 in the Kinki area, 210 in the Tohoku area, 220 in the Chugoku area, 150 in Hokkaido, 280 in Kyushu, 170 in the Hokuriku area, 210 in the Tokai area, 130 in the Shikoku area, and 50 in Okinawa. 100 Yen shops are a must see! Besides, you save money too!  Be sure to visit a few as you travel Japan.

For further information on this and other Japan subject, please click here:  http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Travel Japan Nara

Travel Japan Nara:


Nara, a previous imperial capital of Japan in 710 to 784, lies a mere 30 miles south of Kyoto, and is a good side trip from a stay in Kyoto. The area is known for its Buddhist temples and deer park. Nara is a study of Buddhism in Japan, with the famous Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, and Kasuga Shrine.

Travel Japan Nara - Getting there

Getting from Kyoto to Nara is quite easy, except for the ill informed. You can go on the JR Nara Line or the Kintetsu Nara Line. The JR Nara Line takes about one hour, and the Kintetsu Nara Line takes about 45 minutes. If possible take the Limited Express, for just over 30 minutes. The JR Nara station and Kintetsu Nara station are about 10 minutes walking apart.

Nara - Sightseeing


Kofukuji Temple is first on the tour from either the JR Nara station or the Kintetsu Nara station. Perhaps the most famous structure here is the five story pagoda, built in 730 and subsequently burned down five times.

Todaiji Temple is the temple of the Daibutsu, or Great Buddha. The Buddha is the largest bronze statue of Buddha in Japan and is a must see.

Kasuga Grand Shrine is the Shinto shrine of the Fujiwara family who lived in Nara during feudal Japan days. It is known for its 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns, which are lit around the beginning of February.

Travel Japan Info - Sumo Wrestling

Travel Japan Info - Sumo Wrestling

Sumo wrestling is a unique Japanese sport in which two large wrestlers or ri kishi grapple and attempt to push each other out of a circular ring or doyo, or throw the other down to the ground. The doyo is made of a platform of clay and sand. Sumo is an ancient sport, probably from the Edo period, and the first wrestlers were probably samurai warriors. The wrestlers wear a Japanese mawashibelt, or loin cloth, and have their hair tied up in a top knot. Sumo wrestling is steeped in tradition, with the wrestlers performing a ritual dance and scattering of salt before beginning the bout.


The bouts are usually quite fast, lasting sometimes only a few seconds, sometimes 5 minutes or so, with the winner determined by pushing or throwing the opponent out of the ring, or by pushing or throwing the opponent to the ground. The wrestlers first crouch, then lunge at each other and grapple with each other trying to gain advantage. Although there are many levels of rank in Sumo, the top ranks are Grand Champion or Yokozuna, ozeki, sekiwake, and komusubi.

There are several Sumo tournaments held during the year at different locations. Three are held in Tokyo at the Ryogoku Hall in January, May, and September. One is held in Osaka in March, one in Nagoya in July, and one in Fukuoka in November. The tournaments last for 15 days, and the wrestlers battle each other and the wrestler with the best winning record is deemed the winner of the tournament.


Travel Japan Sumo Food:

The wrestlers eat a hot pot called chanko nabe-a stew with meat, fish and seafood, and lots of vegetables, and in large quantities to help them gain weight. There are restaurants in Japan that specialize in this hot pot. I was fortunate to be able to taste the hot pot in Nagoya at a restaurant owned by a retired oya kata or sumo stable master and found that the chanko nabe was tasty and very filling.

Special thanks to my good friend Dennis Leatherman, a very popular and talented local artist, and his wife Mieko, who have collaborated on this and other articles.  You can see other pictures on Dennis' flickr website:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hageta/.

 For further information on this and other Japan subjects, please click here:  http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Japan Travel Info Guide

Japan Travel Info Guide-An Essential Guide:

So you decided you want to take a trip to Japan? Great, now read all you can on travel in Japan. The more you read about Japan, the less apprehension you will have and the more confident you will be when you get there. Use this Japan Travel Info Guide as an essential guide for your trip.

Plan your trip by reading articles about Japan on the internet, by reading travel articles in books, or by watching programs about Japan on your TV. See what interests you, whether it’s the history of Japan, feudal Japan, or whether it’s the Japan culture, or whether it’s the interesting or unusual places to visit in Japan. If you’re like me, you may be interested in the delicious foods of Japan, or the Japan onsen(hot springs). You may be interested in the Japan religion, or you may be interested in Japan clothing. Whatever your interests, careful planning will make it easier for you once you arrive in Japan.

Once you’ve decided what you want to do or see, look at a Japan map and find out where the focus of your interests are located, whether in Tokyo, or Kyoto, or Hokkaido, or Niigata, or Nagasaki, or Kagoshima, or Okinawa. Aside from your air flight over to Japan, determine your entry and exit points, whether it be Tokyo Narita Airport or Kansai in Osaka, then determine your route and time in Japan. Whether you’re traveling independently or as a part of a tour group, determine where you want to go. Remember, even as a member of a tour group, you can ask your tour company if you can extend your tour and visit places that may not be on the itinerary.

Now determine the best mode of transportation to get you from point A to point B, noting the time of travel and relative distance to travel per day. As an example, if you are in Tokyo and want to get to Sapporo Japan, you would consider a flight on Japan Air Lines or All Nippon Airways, or Air Do to save you time. With air specials which would make fares on airplanes close to rail travel, consider flying. 1 ½ hours from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Chitose Airport in Sapporo makes sense, compared to rail travel of over 8 hours. A trip from Tokyo to Kyoto, on the other hand, would be a nice trip by rail travel. If you have time, consider a trip on the Shinkansen bullet train Kodama, using a Japan Rail Pass, currently about $413, for unlimited travel on rail other than Shinkansen Nozomi trains good for one week. Using the Japan Rail Pass over long distances really maximizes your savings over regular fares, and you can enjoy the wonderful sights and see life in Japan along the way. Consider side trips to Atami Onsen and Hakone Onsen to see Mt. Fuji, Japan’s landmark mountain, which are along the route from Tokyo to Kyoto. Better yet, spend a night at either place and have a very memorable and pleasant hot spring and dining experience. Please note that persons with tattoos will not be admitted to most hot springs in Japan, supposedly to prevent tattooed Japanese yakuza(gangsters)from using the hot springs.

Japan Travel Info-Entry Requirements:

For US and Canadian citizens, travel requirements to Japan for tourist and business travel are as follows:

1. US or Canadian passport valid for at least 3 months beyond intended stay in Japan.

2. Valid air tickets showing an entry to Japan and final return to the US (or Canada if Canadian).

3. No Visa requirement if Japan travel is limited to 3 months.

4. No vaccinations are required.

When going to Passport Control for entry to Japan, go into line for foreign visitors and have your passport and Japan entry slip showing airline flight info filled out and ready for inspection. Upon reaching passport control, you will be fingerprinted using digital technology and have your picture taken. After passport and entry slip inspection, you will be allowed to go to claim your luggage at baggage claim area.

Japan Travel Info-Japan Currency:

As a banker and frequent traveler to Japan, my experience in talking to most clients who are first and second time visitors to Japan, the common questions asked are:

1. Should I bring travelers checks to Japan and

2. How much Yen should I bring along with me?

A simple answer to both questions is this. Depending on how much money you are planning to use, if it is a large amount, yes, bring travelers checks, but also bring or purchase enough yen for shopping and eating outside of your hotel. Although Japan is a very high-tech and industrialized nation, there are many areas outside of large cities that do not take travelers checks, and do not take foreign currency. For sure, you will find that many small and large restaurants in Japan do not take travelers checks. You may use your credit card, however beware the foreign transaction fees that your bank may charge you for using that credit card overseas. Either purchase your Japan currency at your bank, or purchase it in the Currency Exchange booth in the Japan Airport where you land.

Japan currency is as follows:

10,000 yen note - ichi man en, equivalent to about $112 currently

5,000 yen note - go sen en, equivalent to about $56 currently

1,000 yen note - I(ee)sen en, equivalent to about $11

500 yen coin - go hyaku en

100 yen coin - hyaku en

50 yen coin - go jyu en

10 yen coin - jyu en

5 yen coin - go en

1 yen coin - ichi en

Japan charges a consumption tax on food and goods and services, so if it is not included in the price, you will be charged for it on purchase of food, goods and services, and that’s when you need smaller denomination coins. These coins are also good for purchases of drinks and food in the vending machines all throughout Japan.

It is not unusual for office salary men(businessmen) to carry large amounts of yen. Japan is probably one of the safest countries in the world in terms of crime. If carrying currency makes you nervous, give half of the Yen to your spouse/partner to carry, and decide who will pay for the meal or activity beforehand.

Japan Travel Info-Japan Transportation:


Here are some Japan travel info tips on traveling in Japan. “What is the best way to get from Tokyo Narita airport to Tokyo? I have lots of baggage.” Upon exiting baggage claim at Narita Airport, Wheel your luggage on the luggage carts and go directly to the airport bus limo booths-don’t worry, the signs are in English and the clerks speak English. Tell them which hotel you are going to-they will sell you a ticket(s) on a bus limo to your destination. As an example the Grand Prince New Takanawa in Shinagawa runs every 35-45 minutes at 3,000 Yen($34) per person(Child 1,500 Yen). Exit the doors after you get your ticket(s) and look for the bus stop with the sign of your hotel on it. Wheel your luggage and get into the line and show your ticket to the employee. They will tag your luggage and ask you to wait for the bus. Your luggage will be loaded by the employee when your bus arrives and unloaded by the bus driver upon arrival at your hotel, 1 ½ to 2 hours later, depending on traffic. Taxis are expensive in Tokyo-It will cost you upwards of 25,000 yen($280)to get from Narita to downtown Tokyo. With lots of luggage, the bus limo is your best bet.

“What is the best way to get around Tokyo?” Japan has one of the most efficient, clean, and inexpensive rail systems in the world. Take full advantage of it. Railway stations are easy to find and rail is easy to use in Japan. Signs are all in English and Japanese, and now in Chinese and Korean. For local rail travel, tickets are purchased from machines that are in Japanese and English. First look at the large railway map on the wall above the ticket machines. Determine where you are starting from, and then look for your destination. The fare is shown in Yen. You can get almost anywhere on the Yamanote(color code green) loop for between 130 to 260 Yen. From Shinagawa station Shibuya is only 5 stops away and will take you mere minutes to get there. The ticket vending machines have a button you can press for English. You purchase your ticket by putting in coins or Yen notes(machine will give you your change automatically). Take the ticket and find your platform number from the English signs overhead. When you enter the ticket area, insert your ticket, but DO NOT FORGET TO GET IT BACK once you pass the turnstile. You will need your validated ticket to exit the railway station once you reach your destination by again inserting the ticket into the ticket collector next to the turnstile. If you underestimate your fare, prior to exiting the station you go to a ticket adjustment machine, pay the additional amount you owe, then use the new ticket to exit the station. If you cannot figure this out there are English speaking employees at the information booths to help you.

For Shinkansen tickets, I recommend you go into the Shinkansen ticket office to purchase your ticket(s). Be sure to tell the clerk your destination, and be sure to ask what track and platform you will need to get to, and the time of departure. Once you get that information follow the overhead signs to your platform. Shinkansen tracks are normally upstairs.

“How do I bring my travel luggage aboard the train?” You don’t, frankly. The Japan railway system was not designed for US travelers. There is very little space on board the trains other than overhead racks and some space between your legs and the seat in front. Not to mention that fact that there are few elevators in train stations and escalators are small, and stairs are steep. Plan ahead, as I do. On a trip from Tokyo to Kyoto with an overnight stay in Atami on the Shinkansen, I pack one small overnight bag which my wife and I share, and send my travel bags to the hotel in Kyoto by takkyubin(express delivery service). There are several including Yamato(black cat logo), or Nittsu Pelican-san(pelican logo)which the bell desk in your hotel can arrange for you. I think I paid about $40 US for 2 large suitcases last trip. Since it may take 2 days to get your bags across Japan, be sure to plan carefully. Your bags will be waiting for you when you check in at your destination hotel if you planned correctly.

“I have bad knees, I don’t know if I can climb steep stairs.” Unfortunately, Japan is still struggling with ADA issues regarding physical disabilities. In large train stations, elevators and escalators make it easy to get to the platforms, however in smaller stations, elevators and escalators may not be present. If that is the case, you might want to travel by bus or airplane. Here’s another issue-toilets. Throughout Japan there are Japanese and Western toilets, with Japanese toilets requiring that you squat to do your business. With bad knees, please use the ADA or disabled toilets, as those are Western and are a lot easier to use. Even if you don’t have bad knees, you might want to use the Western toilets.


Japan Travel Info-How to use Onsens:

“What do I need to do when I go to an onsen?” First of all, find the correct changing room. Usually a pink or red curtain(noren) with a character for woman 女 is the woman’s changing room and onsen. As most onsens are separated, be sure you go into the right one. A woman friend of mine went into the men’s changing room by mistake. Although she was more embarrassed than the men changing, she won’t soon forget what she saw. Men’s changing rooms normally have a blue curtain with a man’s character 男　on the curtain. Be very careful, some onsens change rooms during the day between men and women sometimes because the onsens are a little different. Look for the colors. Wash towels and yukata(cotton kimonos)are provided in your room in an onsen. First change into your yukata and bring your wash towel with you when you go to the onsen bath.

Once you have selected an area where you will change, find a basket on the shelf and place your clothing in the basket. Please remember your number(in English)so you can find your own clothing after bathing. Once you have taken all of your clothing off, use the wash towel(about the size of a face towel, possibly slightly longer)and enter the baths. Once inside, go to a wash area and sit on a stool. Each bathing area has its own shower and a small tub for pouring hot water over yourself. Find the bath gel and shampoo and conditioner on a shelf next to the small shower. When bathing, DO NOT STAND UP. Sit on the stool and soap up and shampoo, and when ready use the shower head or the tub to rinse yourself. Also PLEASE DO NOT GO INTO THE BATH WATERS WITHOUT WASHING UP FIRST. This is considered very bad manners. When you are done rinsing off, take your towel and proceed to the hot springs. DO NOT JUMP OR DIVE IN. Slowly step into the pool and leave your towel outside the pool. Do not bring your towel into the water. Have your body get acclimated to the hot water. On your first onsen bath, do not stay in for longer than 30 minutes, as you may get so relaxed that you may become dizzy. Take in the waters, which are good for a variety of ailments, and when ready exit the pool don’t forget to take your towel with you. Head back to the wash area and sit on the stool and wash up again, when finished rinsing off, you can go into the changing room(don’t forget to bring your towel with you) so you can use the towel to dry off. You can comb your hair, have a drink of cold water, dry your hair, and relax before changing and returning to your room. Note, please do not wear jewelry or watches in the bath. The waters are sulfurous and acidic, and may damage your jewelry. After a few visits to the onsen, you’ll be an aficionado like me too!

Japan Travel Info-Japanese Toilets:

As stated before, Japan is a highly industrialized nation. However I offer a caveat with that statement. In the large cities, the latest high-tech toilets are the rage, with built in bidets, music, seat lifting, deodorizers, dryer fans, and flush options. That being said, in those same large cities, the traditional Japanese toilets still exist. Japanese toilets are not like Western ones like we have here. There is no toilet bowl, only a hole on the floor with a porcelain basin that you need to squat over to do your thing. If you would like to experience the traditional Japanese toilet, great! Squat down facing the small hood on the porcelain basin. However, if you have bad knees or are unable to bend down, or are uncomfortable with the traditional, please use the ADA toilet-never mind that you are not disabled. Believe me, you’ll thank me later. Getting back to the high-tech toilets. After my first trip to Japan, I bought a Toto bidet toilet for my home, and my wife loves it. At over $900 for a seat, she should! The seat is connected to a water source and the seat is heated, sprays a jet of water for front wash and back wash, dries you after you’re finished, closes the seat and is controlled by a panel that we mounted on the wall next to the toilet. Similar to my unit, but now more advanced is the new Japanese toilet, which still heats, washes, dries, lifts and closes the seat and deodorizes, but also plays music and flushes a large or smaller flush. 大　means large flush, and 小 means small flush. A picture of the shape of a rear end is rear wash, and the picture of a water spray is for frontal wash. Be sure to use the wash and dry for a most interesting Japanese experience. Who knows, you might buy a seat like I did.

Japan Travel Info-Tipping:

As you may already know, tipping is not required in Japan. That being said, you may want to take care of those that are especially good to you. On one of my trips to Kyoto, I stayed for a few days at the ANA Kyoto Hotel. Much to my surprise, the bell desk was manned by petite girls wearing beautiful kimono. As this was toward the end of our trip, my wife and I had very full large and heavy suitcases, along with several boxes. One of these girls brought the luggage to our room. Knowing that they would not accept tips, and being from Hawaii, we had brought some small packs of macadamia nuts for this purpose. Giving her a few packs of unusual nuts must have made her very happy. On our most recent trip last year we stayed at the New Miyako Hotel in Kyoto, and one of the bellman was an American boy, who again struggled to bring up our luggage. Giving him a few packs of macadamia nuts did much to have him remember us and give us good service. We would give the macadamia nuts to the housekeeping staff too, but with them you would need to hand it to them directly. If you left on the pillow, it would still be there when you came back to the room. Bring something small from home that you can give away, you’ll be surprised at the extra service you receive.

Japan Travel Info-Cheap Eats:

Tired of expensive hotel food, but are afraid or unsure of how to get good, inexpensive food? Tired of those $30-$40 breakfasts, those $50 lunches and those $100 dinners? Take a chance, venture just outside of your hotel, around the train stations, and find the tastiest, best meals for a fraction of the price of hotel meals. About two minutes from the Hotel Pacific Tokyo in Shinagawa, just outside the entrance to JR Shinagawa station is a restaurant with American breakfasts(eggs, with ham, rice and toast and coffee)for around $5. About 1 minute from the hotel is a McDonalds where you can buy an Egg McMuffin and coffee for around $3 to $4. In Kyoto station, in an arcade across the New Miyako Hotel, is a restaurant where you can have breakfast for around $5 - $8, and if they see you more than a few days, they give you a discount. In every city in Japan are Ramen-ya, or noodle shops, where you can get an inexpensive hot bowl of noodles and toppings for under $10. You can get a delicious meal in world-famous restaurants for around $10. A tonkatsu(pork)set lunch at Maisen Restaurant in fancy Omotesando, Tokyo cost me $10 and a katsudon set cost just over $8. Can’t speak Japanese? Speak slowly in English, ask for an English menu, or look at what others are eating in the restaurant and point to what you would like to eat, or most restaurants feature plastic versions of what they serve in their restaurants outside in a showcase at the entrance to the restaurant-take the waiter outside and point to what you want to eat. When it’s time to pay, the bill may be in Japanese, but the total will be in Yen, just give them the appropriate amount-and remember no tips.

I would like to acknowledge my good friend Dennis Leatherman, a very popular and talented local artist, and his wife Mieko, who collaborated with me on this article and others.  To see more of his drawings please click on the link here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/hageta/.
 
Well, good luck and happy traveling in Japan. Share some of your experiences with me when you get back.

For further information on this and other Japan subjects, please click here:  http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Travel Japan Sake

Hakkaisan Tokubetsu Junmai; Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri Junmai

Travel Japan Sake:

Japanese sake(sake rice wine)are considered the best in the world, and once you are an aficionado you would travel Japan to sample different ones in order to determine which is the best sake. The essence of the sake ingredients are the sakamai, or polished sake rice, the pure Japan water, and the koji, or special mold microbe whose enzymes are introduced into the steamed sake rice and breaks it down into sugars which can then be fermented by the yeast cells, which then gives off carbon dioxide and alcohol. The koji making process takes about 40 to 45 hours. The whole process is done under the watchful eyes of the Toji, or brew masters. Today, the jizake, or premium regional sake are more popular than ever, and as the saka gura limit production, the consumers’ demand for the premium sake grows even more. There are perhaps as much as 2,000 jizake manufacturers in Japan.

From the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern island of Kyushu the sake are brewed and bottled. The saka gura, or sake breweries are located in small towns and in large cities throughout Japan. These premium sake are drunk cold, in sake glasses.

Travel Japan Sake Rice:

Sake rice is quite different from rice that is eaten in that the sake rice, being more delicate, requires more water, nutrients and protection from the elements, and is more expensive to grow. This fact ensures that the sake rice is grown in limited quantities. Whereas Niigata rice is known to be the best rice for eating, sake rice is grown elsewhere in Japan. Sake rice is a larger grain rice, and some of the grain is ground or polished away in the manufacturing process. In a rice to be made into a Daiginjo or super premium wine, more than 50% of the grain is removed to concentrate the sugars in the rice. In a Ginjo or premium wine, 40 - 50% of the grain is polished off, leaving 50 - 60% of the rice grain for the sake, called seimaibuai. In a Tokubetsu Junmai, or special premium wine, 40 - 50% of the rice grain is polished off, leaving 50 - 60% of the grain. In a Junmai or pure rice wine, 30 - 40% of the grain is polished off, leaving 60 - 70% of the grain. With a lower polished grain, the taste of the sake is of fuller body and of more pronounced flavor. With the higher polished sake rice, the sake is lighter and fruitier, and with a clear aroma and refined flavor. Some of the more well known sakamai are the Yamadanishiki, Gohyakumangoku, Miyamanishiki, Takanenishiki, Todorokiwase, Yukinosei, Hidahomare, Yamahikari, Bizen Omachi, Nihonbare, Kinnanfu, Hattannichiki, Ginpu, Kiyonishiki, and Matsuyamamitsui.

Travel Japan Pure Water:

Sake consists of 80% pure water, and it is said that a slightly semi-hard water is ideal for sake. This water is found in Niigata, in Nada in Hyogo Prefecture, in Hiroshima, and in Fushimi in Kyoto Prefecture. Travel Japan to find the waters, which have good ingredients of potassium, magnesium, and phosphoric acid. In Niigata, as an example, the waters are from the plentiful winter snow in the area.

Travel Japan Koji Mold Microbe:

Koji is the aspergillus oryzae microbe that is used in the production of Japanese miso and soy sauce.

Nihonshu-do Value:

Nihonshu-do is the sake meter value, which determines the fruitiness to the dryness of the sake. The lower the value the fruitier the sake, the higher the value the drier the sake. Nihonshu-do ranges from -3.0 amakuchi(sweet) to +10.0, with +3.0 being neutral. A +20.0 Nihonshu-do value is an exceptionally dry or Karakuchi sake.

Travel Japan Sake Making:

To make sake, the process starts in the fall and goes into winter. The rice is polished to get rid of the amino acids, the fats and the proteins. It gets to the starch concentration core.

Next the rice is washed and steeped or rested before cooking.

Next the rice is steamed, and then the rice is injected with the koji mold microbe.

Then sake yeast is added along with water to the steamed rice and is made into a sake mash.

Then the sake mash is combined with more steamed rice for multiple parallel fermentation.

The starch is broken down into sugars and the sugars are in turn converted into alcohol.

After filtration and pasteurization, the sake is stored in large vats where it is stored until early fall until it is bottled and shipped.

Travel Japan - How to Drink Sake:

Premium sake is meant to be drunk cold, and in sake glasses. Heating tends to compromise the flavor of the sake. However people still drink heated sake. If you heat your sake, put the sake in a tokkuri or ceramic bottle, and place it in gently boiling water for about 5 minutes until lukewarm, then it will be ready for drinking.

Travel Japan - How to Serve Sake:

While there are no hard and fast rules in serving sake, sake glasses or sake masu, (cedar boxes), are normally used to serve cold sake, and tokkuri bottles are containers for warm sake, and are poured into small sakazuki or ochoko cups.

This writer is an aficionado of sake and have tried quite a few all over Japan.

Travel Japan - Quest for the Best Sake:

In Hokkaido, I have been to the Otokoyama Sake Brewery, located in Asahikawa, and tasted the Otokoyama Junmai sake, a Nihonshu-do +10, which I like very much. I haved also  been to the Chitosetsuru Sake Brewery in Sapporo and their Hiyaoroshi Junmai was very good.  I also tasted the Taisetsu junmai daiginjo.

In Niigata, I have been to Sado Island and have been to the Manotsuru saka gura, where I found very good sake: junmai, ginjo and daiginjo with Niigata sakamai and water. Other Niigata sake I have tasted and that are light and dry include “ma boroshi” (phantom)sake like Koshi no Kanbai Tokusen junmai ginjo, a Nihonshu-do +7, Hakkaisan honjyozo ginjo, a Nihonshu-do +5, Hakkaisan Tokubetsu junmai, a Nihonshu-do +5, Kubota Senjyu honjyozo ginjo, a Nihonshu-do +6, Shimeharitsuru junmai ginjo, a Nihonshu-do +3, Kikusui junmai ginjo, a Nihonshu-do +3, Kikusui junmai daiginjo, with a Nihonshu-do value of +3, Kanbara Bride of the Fox junmai ginjo, a Nihonshu-do +3, Echigo Denemon junmai ginjo, a Nihonshu-do +3.

I have tasted the Dewazakura Dewasansan junmai ginjo, a Nihonshu-do +4 and the Dewazakura Oka a ginjo with a Nihonshu-do +4, two sakes produced in Yamagata.

In Nagano, I have been to the Miyasaka Brewery and tasted the Masumi Yumedono, a daiginjo with a Nihonshu-do value of +3, and the Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri, a junmai with a Nihonshu-do value of +3.

I have tasted the Taiheizan Tenka, a junmai daiginjo from Akita, with a Nihonshu-do value of +2.

In Fushimi, Kyoto, I visited the Tamanohikari Brewery and tasted the Tamanohikari Kaori ginjo with a Nihonshu-do value of +3. Also I tasted the Shochikubai deluxe ginjo with a Nihonshu-so value of +2.

In Hiroshima, I visited the Kamotsuru Brewery and tasted the Kamotsuru Tokusei Gold junmai daiginjo, with a Nihonshu-do value of +3.

I have tasted the Hakutaka junmai, a sake from Nada, Hyogo, with a Nihonshu-do value of +2.5.

I have sampled many other premium sake, many of which I cannot remember the names of, but continue on my quest to find the best sake and hope to write about them in another article soon.

For further information on this and other Japan subjects, please click here:  http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Travel Japan Onsen

Travel Japan Onsen:

Japan onsen(hot springs)are considered the best in the world, and once you are an aficionado you sample different ones in order to determine which is the best. Because of the volcanic nature of the Japanese islands, there are probably over a thousand geothermal onsen spread throughout the country. From the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern island of Kyushu, and as far south as Okinawa they are located in small towns and in large cities. The waters come from various sources and are of different compositions, and are said to be good for various maladies. Humans and animals in Japan(monkeys)alike use the hot springs for warmth and for these maladies. The hot springs are said to be good for neuralgia, diabetes, menstrual conditions, skin diseases, rheumatism, gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, and constipation. The composition of the waters are sulfurous, acidic, of carbon dioxide, hydrogen carbonate, sodium, calcium, chlorine, ferrous and magnesium, depending on the hot spring.

This Travel Japan Onsen writer is an aficionado of onsen and have tried quite a few all over Japan.

In Hokkaido, I have been to the Sounkyo Onsen, located in the Daisetsuzan National Park, and experienced the sulfurous waters in the Hotel Taisetsu.  I stayed in a Japanese tatami room. The onsen waters are on the hotter side, and baths are tiled and also of black marble. Rotemburo, or outdoor baths are available. The outdoor bath is wonderful in the winter in the severe Japan climate, with the cold air hitting you in the face as you relax in the hot water. Dinner included fresh delicious seafood, hot pot and local delicacies.

In the Shiretoko National Park, Utoro Onsen I stayed at the Shiretoko Grand Hotel Kitakobushi, overlooking the frozen harbor in a Japanese tatami room. The indoor baths of salt water(sodium chloride) and boric acid afford a wonderful look at the harbor and the Okhotsk Sea beyond, and the waters are good for chill, burns, ulcers, joint aches, and women’s diseases. There is an outdoor rotemburo rock bath. Dinner included seafood such as king and hairy crab, scallops, shrimp, hot pot and other local specialties.

In the Akan National Park, I stayed in the Hotel Emerald, a lake side resort with a very nice buffet dinner in the large dining room overlooking Lake Akan with large rock and granite type onsen baths.  The area is one of the top Japan tourist attractions, with fun winter activities such as ice fishing, ice skating, and snow mobile riding.

In the Noboribetsu Onsen, I stayed at the Hotel Mahoroba, which boasts 31 onsen tubs including indoor tiled, rotemburo rock, hinoki (cypress), and hotter waters of sulfur, sodium chloride, and ferrous, good for neuralgia, arthritis, skin diseases, and women’s disorders. The room was a Japanese tatami room, and the buffet featured popular Hokkaido specialties crab, scallops, sashimi, hot pot, and local delicacies. Although the strong sulfur smell was quite stinky, the hot onsen was great for the tired body.

In Aomori, I have been to the Asamushi Onsen and stayed at the Kaisenkaku overlooking Mutsu Bay. The hotel has large tiled baths overlooking the bay and coast and the waters are sulfurous, calcium and sodium chloride, which are good for rheumatism, chronic eczema, keratosis, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, and women’s diseases. The food included hairy crab, shrimp, scallops, sashimi, and hot pot dishes.

In Fukushima, I have been to the Aizu Bandai Heights and stayed at the Urabandai Royal Hotel and sampled the rock rotemburo and large indoor bath waters which are sodium, calcium sulfur, acid, and chloride, which are good for neuralgia, muscular and joint pain, frozen shoulder, bruises and sprains, digestive organ disease, hemorrhoids, poor circulation, arteriosclerosis, burns and skin diseases. I stayed in a western room and the food was local seafood and delicacies.

In Niigata, I have been to Sado Island and stayed at the Hotel Hirane, with a smaller tiled bath with alkaline, sodium chloride, and sulfuric acid waters good for atopic skin conditions, cuts, burns, women’s disorders, and arteriosclerosis. The room was a Japanese tatami room. Food consisted of local seafood, and local delicacies, and some of the finest foods in Japan.  The Niigata rice shined and smelled and tasted great, and so did some of the best sake in the country.   A Travel Japan Onsen recommendation.

In Yamanaka Onsen, near Kanazawa, I stayed at the Tawaraya, a very nice riverside ryokan. The indoor baths are granite and the rock rotemburo overlooks the river and the forested area across the river. The waters are of calcium and sodium sulfate, and are good for muscular, joint, and shoulder pain, bruises, hemorrhoids, sensitivity to colds, skin diseases arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and burns. The room was a Japanese tatami room overlooking the river and the forest. The food consisted of crab, shrimp, sashimi, and beef steak, along with local delicacies.  A Travel Japan Onsen recommendation and this Travel Japan Onsen writer's favorite!


In Kamisuwa Onsen, Nagano, I stayed at the Rako Hananoi Hotel, a nice ryokan overlooking Lake Suwa. The large indoor bath was granite, the rock rotemburo overlooked the lake. The waters are good for rheumatism and gastrointestinal disorders. The room was a western room and the food was fresh local seafood consisting of crab, sashimi, and local fish, along with beef steak.  A Travel Japan Onsen recommendation.

In Tokyo, if your time in Japan is short, be sure to visit the Ooedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba. I’ve been there several times now, and although it is somewhat like a theme park with a re-creation of an old Edo street, the waters of the hot springs are pumped from 1,400 meters underground and are very relaxing. The waters are comprised of sodium and chlorine, calcium and magnesium. The very large indoor baths reminds one of the old sentos(public baths)in old Edo. There are also rock rotemburo and even foot baths to soothe your tired feet. At the Ooedo Onsen Monogatari there are also 16 Japan restaurants you can dine at and eat soba noodles, tempura, sushi, oden, and much more, and numerous booths where you can get your fortune told, ninja knife throwing, blow gun darts, and you can even get massages.  A Travel Japan Onsen recommendation.

In Atami Onsen in Shizuoka, I have been to the Hotel Resporpia and the Atami Korakuen and the baths are of granite and tile and rotemburo of Japanese cypress and the waters are of calcium, sodium, and chloride which are good for skin diseases, digestive diseases, joint and nerve pains, bruises and fatigue. Both hotels afford great views of Sagami Bay and the food is excellent, with local fresh seafood like zuwai crab, sashimi and specialties.   This area is one of a number of popular Japan tourist attractions because to its close proximity to Tokyo.  A Travel Japan Onsen recommendation.

In Kyushu, I have been to the Ibusuki Onsen when I stayed at the Ibusuki Iwasaki Hotel. I was able to experience the famous sand baths while there. You get into cotton yukata, and proceed to be buried to your neck in a lying position with hot volcanic heated sand, and get a very good sauna. After the hot sand bath you enter a heated pool to wash sand off before you go in to the hotel to shower. The sand bath is good for arthritis, neuralgia, rheumatism, asthma, and promotes good blood circulation. The room was a western room, and the buffet was a combination of Japanese, Western and Chinese food.  This area is one of a number of very popular Japan tourist attractions for Asians.

In the Kirishima Onsen in the Kirishima National Park, I stayed at the Kirishima Hotel, with its very large co-ed bath of granite and rock, along with separate bath changing rooms. I must say, that was an interesting, but fun experience, with men and women bathing together.  I think only the westerners were self-conscious about bathing together.  The Japanese were unaffected-life in Japan goes on.  The waters are chloride sulfate and a little cloudy. My room was a Japanese tatami room. The food was good, mostly local specialties.   A Travel Japan Onsen recommendation.

With still many onsen for me to experience in Hakone, in Kyoto,in Gunma, in Tochigi, in Sendai, in Shikoku, in Kumamoto, Beppu and Okinawa, I look forward to writing about them in another article soon.

Special thanks to a dear friend, Mrs. Jo Matsu of Marukai Hawaii Tours, who got me hooked on Japanese onsen.  If you would like info on tours, please contact her at jmatsu@marukaihawaii.com.

For further information on this and other Japan subjects, please click here:  http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Travel Japan-Nagano

Travel Japan-Nagano:

Perhaps best known as the site of the Winter Olympics in Japan in 1998, it is located in the northern part of the Prefecture in the Hokuriku area. The population is approximately 378,000. In the history of Japan, Nagano was the former fief of the Sanada clan of Shinano, and location of a famous battle between the Uesugi clan and Takeda clan in the battle of Kawanakajima in feudal Japan. Today, the Olympic ski runs are still visible and used during winter. The area is also known for its Jigokudani Monkey bathing, and is known for its onsen hot springs and sake because of the clean water in the area. It is accessible by train from Tokyo via Shinkansen - a 1 hour trip, and by bus from Tokyo a 3 ½ hour trip.

Tateyama-Kurobe -Alpine Route:

The Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route is a must see. The area, known as the Japan Alps, affords great panoramas and you can see the Japan geography of the countryside and unforgettable views of the mountains no matter what time of the year you visit. The Kurobe Dam also affords great views and the cable railway ride in the dam was quite scary, looking down as the railway car went up the dam at about a 45 degree angle. The area is accessible by train, bus, cable car and ropeway. My trip was by bus, trolley, cable railway and I was able to ride the ropeway which gave spectacular views of the dam and countryside. Being there in early fall, the air was quite chilly. Be sure not to miss the Daio Wasabi Farm, where you can eat a wasabi(Japanese horse radish) ice cream, wasabi beer, and many other wasabi-made food products. This is a recommended side trip.

Tsumago-juku an old post town on the Nakasendo Road of the Edo era, and was the 42nd post town counted from Edo(now Tokyo)to Kyoto, making for an interesting experience as you walk along the road and imagine what it would have been like during that feudal era. The architecture of the area included Japanese tile roofs and buildings mostly of weathered Japanese cypress. Experience the Japan culture that this precious historic town has been preserved as it was in Japan history, with no modern signs or exposed light/telephone poles or TV antennas. Interesting sights included a Kura (warehouse)with its Japanese padlock protecting the door and a water wheel.

For further information of this and other subjects, please click here: http://www.traveljapan-us.com/.

Travel Japan Miyajima

Travel Japan Miyajima:

Miyajima, known for its famous red 0-torii (large gate) and Itsukushima Shrine, is located seaside of Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea. At high tide the torii and the shrine appear to be floating on the water. In Japan history, these structures were built around the time of Taira Kiyomori, a famous Heike general, and they are monuments of the Heian era in Japan. If you are lucky, you are able to witness the Bugaku, or ancient Heian rite at the Itsukushima Shrine.

A trip on the Shinkansen Kodama and Hikari from Kyoto will take you just shy of 2 hours to arrive at Hiroshima station. Then from Hiroshima station to Miyajima-guchi station will take another 30 minutes. After another short ferry ride, you will arrive at the terminal, and you may be greeted by Japanese deer, another symbol of the island.

A short walk from the terminal is the Itsukushima Shrine and O-torii, and also the Kiyomori Shrine. Along the way, and if you are hungry, you can sample the huge okonomiyaki, or Hiroshima pancake. The ingredients include the batter, with assorted seafood, cabbage, noodles, and an egg binder and sauce. The okonomiyaki is similar to the Osaka okonomiyaki and the Tokyo monjayaki.  The difference of the Osaka or Kansai okonomiyaki lies in the pork and assorted seafood and vegetables and cheese used as toppings, along with the sweeter sauce.  The Tokyo monjayaki is runnier, and is eaten by pulling the pancake toward you with a very small spatula.

For further information about this subject please click here to go to http://traveljapan-us.com/.

Travel Japan Kanazawa

Travel Japan Kanazawa:

Kanazawa is located on the Sea of Japan, and is the largest city of the Ishikawa Prefecture. The city was the fief of the Maeda clan in feudal Japan. It is perhaps best known for its ornate silk kimonos and its gold lacquer ware and its beautiful Japanese garden - Kenrokuen. Kenrokuen is located next to the castle and is one of the more beautiful gardens in Japan. It is home to some of the oldest living pine and cherry trees, many of which are so large that the branches need to be supported by braces so that they do not break. The garden has waterfalls, lakes and ponds with irises growing in them. The area lacquer ware is inlaid with gold leaf and is truly beautiful. The lacquer ware makes a good souvenir.  The Kaga-Yuzen silk Kimonos are very beautiful too.  It is also known for its famous Kutani ceramics.

The area is also known for its onsen hot springs, and at nearby Yamanaka onsen, the Tawaraya ryokan(inn) has got to be one of this writer's favorite places to stay.  The Tawaraya overlooks a river and a beautiful forest of maple and other trees.  There is even a walkway along the river which can be seen from the tatami room that I stayed in.  The ryokan has several indoor pools and outdoor rotemburo overlooking that river and forest.  The onsen, along with the wonderful seafood dinner of crab, shrimp, fish, and other local delicacies made for an unforgettable experience.
 
Kanazawa is accessible from Tokyo by air, train and bus, the Shinkansen Nozomi or Hikari taking about 4 hours, gives a scenic ride. On Japan Air Lines or All Nippon Airways a flight from Tokyo Haneda to Komatsu Airport and a bus ride will take about 3 ½ hours.  I recommend a leisurely ride on the Shinkansen, to fully appreciate the beautiful countryside from Tokyo.

For related site please click here to go to http://traveljapan-us.com/.