Travel

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Head for Hakkoda! Explore northern Japan’s majestic mountain range

An amazing experience awaits nature lovers and curious travelers alike in the Hakkoda Mountains. Breathtaking vistas amid snowcapped mountains and emerald forests are guaranteed to inspire, while...
Photos by Takahiro Takiguchi
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Atsugi is an attractive city full of history and rich tradition

Surrounded by beautiful mountains and hot springs, Atsugi is an attractive city full of history and rich tradition. Located at the west end of the Kanto Plain, Atsugi is a fairly accessible city via the Tomei Expressway.
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Budget tricks for your next trip

Do you want to travel more but are unsure of how you’ll be able to afford it? You’ve calculated the cost of flights, hotels, food and transportation, and you’re left feeling discouraged. Don’t worry! At the end of this guide you’ll be a budget travel guru. The more money you save, the more you can experience the world.
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Get off base and enjoy these events in Japan!

There's a lot of stuff happening off base, so read below and then head off for some fun! (This was updated Aug. 13)
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Things you need to know about Japanese yen

If you are new to mainland Japan or Okinawa, local currency, and the conversion between dollars and yen, may leave you annoyed at the cash register.
There is a world out there waiting to be explored and engaged with. Take the opportunities you can to immerse yourself. (U.S. Army photo illustration by Sgt. Erica Earl) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Erica Earl)
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Waning Wanderlust

There is something vital lacking in many service members, and that is curiosity of life outside of America's borders.
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A look at trains in Tokyo

It wasn’t until after I’d arrived in Tokyo that I realized why I’d wanted to go there for so long. It was because I’d read too much science fiction as a teenager.
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Yakushima: Discover one of Japan's most beautiful places

I watched the many peaks of Yakushima expand in stop motion as our Jetfoil powered towards the island.
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Suo-Oshima, Yamaguchi: A beautiful island off Iwakuni

Suo-Oshima, aka Yashima Island, near MCAS Iwakuni, is a popular tourist attraction in the Setouchi (inland sea) region of Japan where you can enjoy both beautiful beaches and mountains.
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Reasons to visit Matsumoto City, Nagano

After visiting the Japanese snow monkeys, my friend and I had some time to explore Matsumoto City, the second largest city in Nagano prefecture. While I visited it before, I only got to see the famous castle which draws most of the tourism to the city.
Jaclyn Kupka, a resident of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, receives help from a Japanese resident ordering her food at Kura Zushi, Iwakuni City, Japan, Friday, September 20, 2019. Japanese residents taught MCAS Iwakuni residents how to order at a sushi restaurant, and use the sushi-go-round. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Trista Whited)
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Food & Drink
Cuisine: Japanese

MCAS Iwakuni residents learn how to grocery shop

Mikie Watanabe, cultural adaptation specialist with Marine Corps Community Services, took 20 Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni residents on a journey to learn more about local Japanese restaurants and grocery stores at Fresta Mall in Iwakuni City, Friday, September 20, 2019.
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Stripes' Trip: Hot dog! A unique way to eat whitebait

It may sound weird, but our obsession with the tasty small fish had grown since our shirasu-don lunch earlier on Enoshima Island. So, it was only natural that the signboard for the hotdogs featuring the regional specialty would draw our attention.
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Stripes' Trip: Tasty craft beer breaks in Kamakura and Enoshima

There are few things more refreshing than sipping a cold beer on a sandy beach in Kamakura or while enjoying the panoramic vista from an Enoshima restaurant.
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Cuisine: Café

Stripes' Trip: Well, Hello, Kitty!

If you visit Nakamise shopping street, you’re sure to come across the Japanese Tea House Hello Kitty Saryo Enoshima. If you don’t have time to stop for a sit-down lunch, the location also offers a “take out” counter serving up various Hello Kitty-themed drinks and sweets.
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Food & Drink
Cuisine: Japanese

Soka Senbei Garden in Saitama

You would be forgiven for thinking that senbei rice crackers were the ninja of Japanese food.
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Cuisine: Japanese

It tastes soy good in Japan!

You can’t even talk about – much less taste – Okinawan food without letting soybeans, or a soy-based delicacy, cross your lips. Soybeans really are “the magical fruit” here where traditional wisdom transforms them into a myriad of foods with a variety of colors, shapes and smells.