A blog on how we travel Japan
New Year’s Eve Countdown in Tokyo is one of the most important activity of Tokyoites to welcome the New Year. December winter in Japan is a very joyous month with the occurrence of several widely celebrated festivals such as Christmas and New Year. However, did you know that unlike the other Asian countries which typically …
Himeji (姫路市 Himeji-shi) is a city in Hyogo Prefecture, which is well-known for its magnificent and enchanted Himeji Castle, both a UNESCO world heritage site and a national treasure. Located less than an hour away from other major cities such as Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe, Himeji makes a great destination for an accessible day-trip within the …
On our way from Naha to the Churaumi Aquarium at the northern part of Okinawa island, we decided to make a pit stop and visit the Cape Manzamo (万座毛). Manzamo sports a big plain of grassland facing the East China Sea. The name literally means a space for ten thousand people to sit in and accordingly …
Fans of Mr Hayao Miyazaki and Ghibli Studio will definitely lit up their eyes at the sight of these Totoro cream puffs! Yes! You heard us correctly~~~ Totoro from the highly acclaimed popular animated fantasy film My Neighbour Totoro produced by Studio Ghibli in 1988, came alive in the form of cream puffs at Shiro-Hige’s …
In Singapore, children are introduced to Singa The Lion – a popular social mascot for promoting kindness nationwide. Did you know that in Japan, there is also a popular social character named MR FRIENDLY who promotes amicable relationship, love, peace and happiness among children and young adults? Conceptualized by renowned design company, Super Planning Co Ltd in 1988 …
One of my favourite and most memorable cultural experiences in Japan was the kimono dress-up during winter at Asakusa, Tokyo! I have always been so mesmerised by the beauty of Japanese traditional kimono and was looking forward to an extraordinary dress-up experience. Based on favourable reviews online and beautiful kimono outfits preview, I booked a …
Do you suffer from poor sleep quality every night with shoulder and neck ache in the morning? Do you always find yourself repurchasing pillows because you can’t seem to find THE ONE of the suitable height and density? How about buying yourself a useful souvenir from Japan: a customized pillow that is especially tailored-made to …
Year 2011 was significant for JR Vacation as we commenced our first Japan vacation on that year and have never looked back since. I remembered receiving many worrying comments about the planned vacation as it took place just a few months after The Great East Japan Earthquake. Finally, on our 18th vacation to Japan, we …
We have the habit of relying on HyperDia – Japan transportation search engine system (you can learn how to use this superd transportation search engine here) to map out the recommended route for all our travels in Japan. During our recent trip, we were surprised to find “POKEMON TRAIN KESENNUMA” recommended by HyperDia for our returning …
After our maiden hike at Yamadera (you may refer to our previous post here), we ventured into another first time: a winter boat ride down the Satetsu River to view Geibikei Gorge in Iwate Prefecture. The 2 kilometer Geibikei Gorge is a designated “National Place of Scenic Beauty”, as well as one of the “100 …