Journal

  1. The secrets of Japanese antique shopping at markets and fairsJapanese antique shopping rewards patience, curiosity and a willingness to look beyond glossy souvenir streets. At a temple flea market or a quiet specialist…
  2. Why you should try a Japanese breakfast: traditional dishes to knowA Japanese breakfast offers a different rhythm from the usual Australian morning meal. Instead of toast, cereal, or a flat white grabbed on the way to work,…
  3. Japan's Wildest Theme Parks Worth a Dedicated TripAustralian travellers increasingly treat theme parks as the centrepiece of a Japan itinerary, drifting past familiar Disney and Universal conversations toward…
  4. How to take a Japanese calligraphy class: tools and techniquesWalking into your first shodo session can feel slightly intimidating, especially when your teacher greets you with a formal bow and slides a felt mat across…
  5. Sapporo, Hakata, and Tokyo: a guide to Japan's signature ramen stylesAustralians planning a trip to Japan usually have sushi, tempura, and okonomiyaki on the must-try list, but the country's most beloved everyday dish is a…
  6. Exploring Monzen Nakacho: Tokyo's living Edo period streetscapeMonzen Nakacho sits in the eastern reaches of Koto Ward, a neighbourhood where the layout of streets, shrines, and merchant houses still echoes the geography…
  7. Watching the Morning Rush: A Day in the Life of a Japanese CommuterThe 7:42 train from Yokohama pulls alongside the platform with a soft hiss of pneumatics, and within ninety seconds roughly two thousand passengers have…
  8. The fascinating world of Japanese capsule hotelsJapanese capsule hotels offer a compact, highly organised way to spend a night in cities where conventional accommodation can be expensive. Instead of booking…
  9. How to respectfully visit a Shinto shrine in JapanA Shinto shrine, or jinja, is a place of worship, community memory and connection with the natural world. Visitors are welcome, whether they arrive to pray,…
  10. Best places to see fireflies in Japan by seasonFireflies turn warm Japanese evenings into quiet, glowing scenes along streams, rice fields and wooded paths. Their brief appearance is one of the country’s…