Japan Travel in the Know– category –

【The winter in Hokkaido is beautiful but too long and harsh】 A hometown is a place to long for from a distance, not to actually live in. This is the English translation of a Japanese famous proverb that often crosses my mind especially...

Among river fish in Japan, the king is definitely salmon. You can see them in many rivers in Hokkaido this season. In autumn, salmon comes back from the sea and dies in its home rivers soon after spawning, which supports the ecosystem of Hokkaido's rich nature and economy.

【Kids are the master of communicating with new people】 Last week, I went to Tokyo for business and found all the people in the subway train (in my view) just looked at their smartphones silently. I saw such a scene every day when I liv...

Many movie freaks are likely to look down on animated movies. I'm sure of that because I was one of them until I went to a special exhibition in Sapporo. The exhibition is “The Science behind PIXAR” that is about the movie production of PIXAR. You may still believe that it is only dramas played by real actors that can move you, but CG animation is also very dramatic. If you know human struggling behind the scene, you will be moved by animated movies as well.

【Trains are still the king of transportation for tourism】 Which transportation do you think is best for your trip? By air, sea, or road? According to a report by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the share of...

The small town is called as "a town of miracle." It has no rail line, national route, and water infrastructure in it. Japan is facing a declining population, which is most obvious in rural areas. Nevertheless, the population of the town has been on the increase for these 20 years, surprisingly.

Soba, buckwheat noodle, is very popular in Japan. The harvest season of buckwheat is autumn, the same as wheat, but funnily enough, only soba noodles are recognized as an autumn seasonal food in Japan. And also, many Japanese people see Soba noodles more elegant than Ramen and Udon noodles.

【Ramen and curry are national dishes for the Japanese people】 If you can only eat just one food, which would it be, ramen (noodle) or curry? I‘m sure we all the Japanese people have asked and answered this stupid question at least once...

【Hokkaido is No.1 in salmon roe】 The Japanese people like to eat fish eggs. The roe of salmon and cod (pollack, to be more precise) is the top two. Salmon roe is one of special marine products of Hokkaido. It comes into season in the a...

Genghis Khan is a barbecue of mutton, lamb, and vegetables. It's one of Hokkaido specialties. Mutton and lamb are not so generally eaten in Japan. There are many Japanese people who don’t like the smell. It’s very difficult to find a Genghis Khan restaurant outside Hokkaido.