Mobile Suit Gundam celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and fans of the popular anime series can enjoy an exhibit held at JR Hakata City from 13th – 31th March. First broadcast started in 1979, the Mobile Suit Gundam Series spans decades of works from TV, anime, manga, and movies. Gundam even predates the Transformers by …
7-11 going 7-11 in Japan
7-11 is one of our favourite Konbini (convenience store) in Japan together with Lawson and Family Mart. You can find any of these stores in almost any street in Tokyo. Due to that density, the demand for manpower to man all of these stores is huge. With the shortage of labour in Japan, 7-11 is …

Japan Sakura Season Merchandise 2019
It’s that time of the year again when cherry blossoms around Japan. As usual, companies and businesses are eager to roll out their sakura themed merchandise. Let’s take a look at some of them here. Starbucks Japan Extremely popular in Japan, Starbucks has over 1,400 stores around the country and is always up to date …

Shirakawago in Summer
Most people know Shirakawago (白川郷) as the traditional gassho houses with thick snow covered thatched roof in winter. But visiting Shirakawago in the Summer can be fun too and brings out a different flavour of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The Shirakawago area receives heavy snowfall during winter with temperature dropping below 0 and roads and …
Sapporo Snow Festival – 70th Edition 2019
This year, Sapporo Snow Festival is going into its 70th edition. The yearly event attracts million of visitors to the city of Sapporo in Hokkaido to witness the most famous winter festival in Japan. We visited the 65th edition of Sapporo Snow Festival back in 2014 and had a wonderful time there. The Sapporo Snow Festival, …

World’s Number 2 Melon Pan Ice Cream
Chanced upon this shop in Kyoto that sells delicious freshly baked melon-pan bun with ice-cream of different flavours. The bun is crispy and crunchy on the exterior and the bread inside are soft. Hot fresh bun with cold ice cream within makes this combination really refreshing. The shop name is “World’s Number 2 Melon Pan …

New Hello Kitty Haruka Train From Kansai International Airport to Shin Osaka
Attention all Hello Kitty fans! JR West is launching a new Express train service from Kansai International Airport (KIX) to Kyoto! Get your warmest welcome from kimono dressed Hello Kitty upon touching down at KIX airport. Since the release of Hello Kitty Shinkansen last year, many visitors had been complaining about the difficulty in getting …

12 Osaka and Kyoto Travelling Tips – Introducing all our past experience in the region
Osaka and Kyoto are hugely popular yet very different cities in Kansai region. If you prefer a cultural experience, you will definitely enjoy Kyoto! Here, let’s run through some of our past experience in the Kansai region. Shinsaibashi/Dotonbori satisfy all your cravings for Japanese street food and foodie backdrop for selfies! Visiting Kyoto 1) Kyoto …

Zao Snow Monsters – Visit Zao Onsen for Creeping Snow Covered Monsters
Zao Onsen is one of the most popular onsen town and ski resort in the Yamagata Prefecture. The highlight for every visitors is the Zao Snow Monsters – ice trees covered with heavy snow, also known as Juhyo. At the height of winter, as freezing winds rushes through the Zao mountain range, thick heavy snow gets …

Japan Departure Tax Starting 7 Jan 2019
A new levy known as the Japan Departure Tax will be imposed on travellers upon leaving the country. The tax will cost 1000 yen for each person leaving by air or sea, and the price is included in the ticket price of your transportation. That is why you should probably see a slight hike in …