Where to stay: Check out the new “hotspot” for cheep accommodations in the newly renovated flophouse district
When Tokyoites think of Sanya, they traditionally think of poverty. The district in the eastern part of the Japanese capital, was long known for its clusters of cheap rooming houses for day laborers. These days, the area is attracting a different crowd: budget-conscious foreign tourists. Juyoh Hotel last summer set up a common room where guests can gaze at a Japanese-style garden. Located right in the heart of the city, Sanya makes a convenient jumping-off point for sightseeing. Hotels offering cheap yet modern accommodations are starting to...
read moreWhere to eat: Best yakitori in town
Where to get your tasty skewered chicken fix in Tokyo Best known as every Japanese oyaji’s favourite beer snack, the humble yakitori (grilled, skewered chicken) is most commonly consumed in noisy pubs, at simple roadside stalls, or at various open-air festivals taking place year-round all over the country. However, the gourmet value of this simple delicacy is also widely recognised, best evidenced by the existence of Michelin-starred yakitori restaurants in Tokyo. Below, we have selected 10 of the best places in the city for getting...
read moreThings to do this week in Tokyo Wednesday January 22nd- Sunday January 26th
This week’s hottest events, gigs, films, festivals and more Salon du Chocolat 2014 Wed Jan 22 – Mon Jan 27, 2014 Isetan Main Building 6F, 7F Event Plaza With Valentine’s Day just a few weeks off, Tokyo’s most indulgent romantics will be heading to Shinjuku Isetan to stock up on fancy choccies at this year’s Salon du Chocolat. Now into its 12th year, the Tokyo incarnation of Paris’s famous chocolate trade show bears little relation to its French forebear: gone are the free samples, workshops and chocolate...
read moreJapans whacky holidays: Coming of age day
The second Monday of January is Coming-of-Age Day, a national holiday to encourage those who have newly entered adulthood to become self-reliant members of society. (The holiday used to be on January 15, but in 2000 it was moved to the second Monday of the month.) Last Monday we celebrated the coming of age day for 2014. Local governments host special coming-of-age ceremonies for 20-year-olds, since an “adult” in Japan is legally defined as one who is 20 or over. They gain the right to vote on their twentieth birthday, and...
read moreAn office for everyone: 5 share spaces in Tokyo for creatives and freelancers
With the cost of property in Tokyo so high, and an estimated 6,000 people squeezed into every square kilometre of the city, more and more urbanites are starting to think small. As well as choosing tiny houses that provide everything required for living but with none of the clutter, people are learning that life is far easier if, rather than yearning for their own private spaces and a multitude of possessions, they learn to share. Following in the footsteps of movements such as last winter’s Warm Share, which offered incentives to members of...
read moreWhere to stay: 20+ cheap accomodations in Japan
Japan can be a quite expensive country to visit. Still lately it has become a lot cheaper due to the weak yen so you can get a lot more yens for your euro’s and dollars than you did a few years ago. Admittedly, land prices are one of the most expensive in the world, which is why hotel rooms tend to be small and a lot more expensive than other countries around the world. If you have trouble finding an affordable accommodation, then please consider these alternatives. 1. Internet Cafes/Comic Book Cafes/Manga Kissaten Price: varies;...
read moreThings to do this weekend in Tokyo October 18- October 20
Innovative Sweden Wed Oct 2 – Fri Oct 18, 2013 National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation This touring show of innovative designs has arrived in Tokyo, having already visited a number of countries, including the US, China and Brazil. Expect innovative design and technology from 20 up-and-coming Swedish companies in the fields of ICT, cleantech, gaming and life sciences, with the likes of eye-controlled computers and green mobile phone chargers on the bill. Details Open Oct 2-18 Time 10am-5pm Admission Adults ¥600, 18 or under...
read moreThe Japanese secret to staying young for longer
Wasabi, the Japanese condiment which offers a delicious kick to the nasal passages with every bite, has long been embraced in Japan, and more recently other parts of the world. However, aside from accentuating sushi or playing jokes on friends, the pungent plant has been found to provide anti-aging effects in recent years. For those who turn up their noses at the thought of a daily dose of wasabi, you may reconsider when you realize how easy it is to benefit from the sulfinyl found in it. That’s right: it keeps you pretty for longer!...
read moreThings to do: Have birds eye view dinner in the Tokyo Skytree
Timing is everything at Tokyo Skytree. in daylight the urban sprawl below just looks banal; at night, the city lights gleam with romance, but you can’t see to the far horizons. get there for sunset, though, and if conditions are right, the view can be little short of magical. The same applies when you pick a place to eat at the city’s most popular tourist attraction. At peak meal times there are waits of up to an hour. But arrive early or as the crowds are thinning, and there’s every chance you will waltz straight in. That’s definitely the...
read moreFun short news stories from Japan
NEWS FROM THE LAB STATS: 76Percent sixth-graders who “enjoy or somewhat enjoy learning English,” according to the education ministry ¥301,000Per capita medical costs in Japan in fiscal 2012—the first time the figure has topped ¥300,000, according to the health ministry ¥764Average minimum wage in fiscal 2013, a ¥15 rise from last year, according to the labor ministry I RISKED MY LIFE COLLECTING THESE THINGS” —Anthropologist Yoshihiko Yamaguchi, on the closing of two museums in Yamagata that house 20,000 pieces he brought back from South...
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