Japan Travel in the Know– category –

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.

Being from Hokkaido is a conversational superpower, unlike the "handicap" of being from Northern Kanto. But while our seafood is world-class, our design has often been "stuck in the 80s." Explore how architect Sou Fujimoto is changing Hokkaido's image—and why I need you to buy Tsuboya’s sweets so they can eventually buy our furniture!

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.

Last year, a bear in Hokkaido didn't just attack—it hunted. Join me as I explore the disturbing shift in bear behavior, the collapse of Japan’s "buffer zones," and why the act of making furniture is a vital defense against the deadly consequences of leaving nature alone.

【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...

【Funny Japanglish by the Prime Minister】 In 2000, the then Japanese Prime Minister wanted to make greetings in English at the first summit meeting with President Clinton. He tried to cram the following exchange of basic phrases: "How a...

【A home is a place to long for from a distance】 A journey itself is worthless, but it's what we learn from a journey that counts. It is a part of the subject of my previous article. As some of the readers may notice, it is inspired by ...

When conservative civil servants try to be creative, the results are often hilariously sorrowful. Explore the baffling world of Hokkaido's town taglines—where bells and flowers become "unique" features—and discover why Asahikawa chose furniture over its 100 rivers.