Japan Travel in the Know– category –

Kiyomi Mikuni is the most famous Japanese chef born in Hokkaido. He grew up in extreme poverty. Soon after graduating from junior high school, he started to work for a rice dealer for free meals and the opportunity for attending a night cooking school. In Hokkaido, there are some restaurants supervised by him. Fratello Di Mikuni is one of them.

【Real estate bubble in Niseko】 Ginza is the area in Tokyo well known as a luxury area. The above image (the thumbnail image) is Ginza 4th block's intersection. The area holds the highest land price record in Japan: about 500,000 USD/sq...

In an onsen, everyone is equal because everyone is naked. Explore the fascinating history of how Japanese hot springs served as a sanctuary from social status and the "curse" of productivity. From Samurai "resetting" their souls to the art of the Yukata waddle, discover the ultimate way to spoil yourself.

Why is Kyoto so popular? It’s the ancient capital and the destination for nearly every Japanese school trip (a beautiful, chaotic spring ritual). But here’s the paradox: Japan’s legal durable life for wooden buildings is only 22 years. This is absurd, considering Hōryū-ji Temple was built 1,400 years ago! The secret lies in ancient wisdom: using nail-less flexibility to withstand earthquakes. This same principle—accommodating wood’s expansion and contraction—is incorporated into our IPPONGI table, making it a piece of history you can use daily.

【Hokkaido is the kingdom of natural resources, though...】 Hokkaido is a name-brand area even for Japanese people, proudly enough. If saying "I'm from Hokkaido" outside Hokkaido, we will have a blast in chat. People will come to us and ...

We shared the kind of misery that forges a very Japanese, unbreakable bond. I subjected my Chairman to the cheapest hotels worldwide—often in rooms where you couldn't open a suitcase. Now, the new Royal Park Canvas in Sapporo offers a blueprint for sustainable travel, built with the quality and consciousness that finally won his approval.

【Bears start to live in deserted villages in Hokkaido】 This year, riverbeds and big parks with forests were often closed in our hometown. It was not because of the COVID but because of bears. There are two kinds of bears in Japan: brow...

【Trick-or-treating in Hokkaido】 Did you know that the history of trick-or-treating at Halloween in North America was not so long? It started about in 1930, while Halloween itself has a long history of more than 2000 years. As you may k...

Did you know Haagen-Dazs was originated in the US? I thought it came from somewhere in North Europe, which, I assume, would be exactly what the brand founder intended. Let me tell you another example. In Japan, canned coffee is one of th...

I think we can devide business organizations into two types by hiring method: job-description type and membership type. The former organizations clearly define the tasks that they want their employees to fulfill. Accordingly, employees f...