Japan Travel in the Know– category –

The $500 Japanese Ransel school bag was built to be a six-year sled. We unveil the Powder Paradox: Hokkaido’s globally famous 'Champagne Powder' is too light and dry to build snow igloos—ruining childhood fun, but creating the need for stunning, heavy-machinery-built structures like the La Vista Ice Bar. Sit on our chairs in a hotel made of ice and experience the ultimate expression of our fleeting, cold luxury.

The Cold Rice Test: Why Your Microwave Is Useless. Truly exceptional rice remains delicious even when cooled—a cultural point missed by the microwave generation. We explore the brutal efficiency that made rice, not wheat, the cornerstone of Japan, sustained by 400,000 km of ancestral labor (ten turns around the Earth). This profound history culminates in a farmer-run curry house where a simple meal becomes a 10,000-year philosophical experience.

Is communication just 7% words? Then let's spend the other 93% eating Hokkaido's world-class bread. From the theatrical art of asking "Is this Kayser-ish?" to the "carb-on-carb crime" of Yakisoba-pan, explore the unique bakery culture of Japan's northern wilderness.

In Japan's economy, we take turns playing the servant and the served. But as a traveler, you get to skip the "Hell" and enjoy pure "Heaven." Explore the cult of Dormy Inn—the hotel chain that offers free noodles, hot springs, and gourmet breakfasts—and learn why spending your savings on Hokkaido craftsmanship is the smartest move you can make.

From Heraclitus to Dead Poets Society, nature teaches us to "seize the day." But as we look at Hokkaido's shifting red carpets of Coral Grass, we realize that while the universe is in flux, our desire for the workday to end is eternal. Explore the philosophy and beauty of Japan's northern wilderness.

What's the secret to successful fishing? I confess that my human ego prefers bait over the grace of fly fishing. This leads to the salmon homecoming—a majestic life-and-death spectacle in Hokkaido's rivers. I explore the profound ecology of the salmon, arguing that our wooden furniture is made from the ocean's nutrients. I conclude with the amusing human paradox: why you should savor the freshest Ikura (salmon roe) after witnessing the species' great sacrifice.

A tech CEO wants to put chips in our brains, but I think we’re already living in a digital dystopia. Join me as I explore the eerie silence of Tokyo subways, the unfiltered wisdom of my Pokémon-loving sister, and how a "goldfish story" can break the barriers between us. Let’s remember how to connect before we forget for good.

Why was I, a former "movie snob," moved by the Science Behind PIXAR? Because CG animation perfectly fuses art and science. For example, PIXAR engineers added "shock absorbers" to virtual springs to naturally animate Merida's curly hair in Brave. Following this logic, we commissioned world-famous architect Sou Fujimoto to design a virtual Hokkaido Rock House (he said yes, probably because he's my high school senior). His design occupies the perfect, non-reproducible space between pure imagination and cold reality—the future of harmonious living.

A train track is more than just infrastructure; it’s a concrete promise. Join me as I explore the unique psychology of Japan’s rail enthusiasts, the "ghost stations" of the Hokkaido wilderness, and why you should experience the world’s most punctual rail system before the silent beauty of the ruins takes over.

I used to work in the "living hell" of the Ministry of Finance, where one mistake could end a career. Join me as I contrast the cutthroat world of Tokyo's elite bureaucrats with the miracle of Higashikawa—a tiny Hokkaido town that banned the word "no"—and why architect Kengo Kuma chose this rebellious community for his new satellite office.