A Shinto ritual to pray for a rich harvest and a rice planting performance by rice-planting maidens is held every year on the second Sunday of May in Kita Village of Miyama Town, also known as the Thatched Village (kayabuki-no-sato).
It’s springtime, probably one of the most desirable and pleasant seasons for outings in Japan. Everywhere you turn, the landscape near and far has some beautiful and bright colors to mark this refreshing time.
If you are stationed in the Kanto Plain and are looking for a day trip to relax yourself in nature, I strongly recommend Jindai Botanical Park in Tokyo.
While cities like Kyoto and Nara often steal the Edo spotlight, Kanazawa has quietly preserved the charm of the era, all without the tourist crowds. Historic tea houses, narrow winding streets and one of Japan’s most beautiful landscape gardens, all in a city that blends the feel of a small town with the perks of modern conveniences.
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Tateishi is a 40-foot-tall rock with beautiful pine trees off Akiya Beach in Miura Peninsula near Yokosuka Naval Base.
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Ameyoko in Tokyo’s Ueno district is known as one of the busiest market streets in Japan. “Ameya-yokocho” or “ameyoko” for short (literally, candy shop alley), is a market street filled with not only candy shops, but many other discount shops for food, shoes, clothes, bags, cosmetics and jewelry. The deals here always draw a crowd.
Fans of the beloved Dutch picture book character Miffy have something new to look forward to in Japan this summer. Huis Ten Bosch, the Dutch-inspired theme park in Nagasaki, will open a brand-new area called Miffy Wonder Square on June 21st, 2025 — and it’s perfectly timed with Miffy’s 70th birthday.
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Located in the center of Tokyo and a short 10-minute train ride from Hardy Barracks, Daimon, or Hamamatsucho, is a busy business district filled with hundreds of skyscrapers, along with the capital’s new and old symbols.
If you are a Studio Ghibli fan, Nittele Odokei (NTV Big Clock) is a must-see attraction in Tokyo.Just outside the Toei Oedo Line’s Shiodome Station stands the majestic Cuckoo clock designed by famed Japanese animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.
Check out Japan’s leading soy sauce brewer, Kikkoman, which produces many low-salt soy sauce products all the while preserving the centuries-old way of brewing it.
In Japan, about 15.5 million fans attend about 21,000 horse races annually with 25 horse tracks throughout mainland Japan.
This summer, the Okinawa Suntory Arena will be serenaded by some big rap, R&B and pop artists for Afro Jam Festival 2025 running July 17-20.
Step into the world of Japanese festivals at Matsuri Japan 2025, a two-day event in late June at Tokyo’s brand-new Takanawa Gateway Convention Center.
Guam is unique and complex. It looks like one thing on the surface, but it’s entirely another animal underneath. Save time, money, and embarrassment on your trip (or move) to Guam with these tips! You can thank us later.
Taste of Japan
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