Ryoanji

The quintessential zen garden 18 October, 2011 by

When thinking of karesansui or Japanese zen gardens, Ryoanji is often brought up as the primary example. Located at the northern edge of Kyoto, the temple is known for its rock garden thought to be built in the 15th or 16th century by a famous Japanese avant-garde artist of its time.
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Design Festa Gallery

Hipster art gallery come cafe 14 October, 2011 by

Despite having been to Harajuku as many times by now, the streets still hide many interesting sights to be discovered with each repeated visit. One of the buildings here that caught our more recent attention was this quirky artsy type place along the back alleys of Harajuku Street called the Design Festa Gallery.
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Nogizaka46

Is there more to the AKB48 rival group? 12 October, 2011 by

Some months ago, the formation of a new idol group Nogizaka46 (乃木坂46) was announced. The latest project by producer Akimoto Yasushi, Nogizaka46 is billed as the official rivals to the popular pop act, AKB48. Thus far, the starting lineup of members have been established and only last week, the group have begun appearing in their own television program titled “Nogizakatte, Doko?” (Where is Nogizaka). But is there more to this group than meets the eye?
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Mitsui Outlet Park

A shopaholic's theme park 07 October, 2011 by

Mitsui Outlet Parks are a series of designer malls spread all around Japan. Almost all of them are strategically located at ports such as in Sendai or Yokohama and feature factory outlets for a wide range of international, as well as local brands.

Each of these large complexes almost seem like amusement parks made for the sole purpose of shopping, with architecture inspired by other seafaring towns from around the world. Here we take a look around Mitsui Outlet Park Marine Pia Kobe, the Mediterranean themed promenade in Kobe.
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Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass)

An all in one solution for traveling around Japan? 02 October, 2011 by

One of the most frequently asked questions on the travel forums I frequent is whether to purchase a Japan Rail Pass (or JR Pass for short). This special pass covers all transport owned by the JR company throughout the country, including unlimited free rides on the usually pricey bullet trains.
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Using Google Maps to Plan your Holiday

Plan your itinerary with this simple tool 02 October, 2011 by

Whether your destination for your next holiday is to Singapore or Japan, Google Maps makes for a great alternative to other travel programs when planning your itinerary. The combination of searchable areas of interest, simplicity of use and pain free map sharing with your friends is hard to beat. Better yet, almost everyone ought to already have a Google account and My Places, users can plan their itinerary easily using custom maps.
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Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

One of the largest aquariums in the world, right in the city 24 September, 2011 by

It is only appropriate that Japan, a country made up of 6,852 islands to be home to some of the largest and most amazing aquaria in the world. Kaiyukan (better known overseas simply as the Osaka Aquarium) is one of the best examples. The iconic building houses a large variety of aquatic life from the pacific region, including rare specimens that exist in in few other aquariums worldwide.
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