Blogs from Japan, Asia

From MSN Explore: Even as millions of tourists flock to Japan, keep in mind that Japanese people make up the vast majority of those dining at restaurants across the country. According to data from the CIA, a whopping 97.5% of the population is Japanese. Moreover, Japan ranked 87 out of 113 countries in EF's English Proficiency Indexlist, landing in the lower end of the "low proficiency" category. With this in mind, the owners and staff at some establishments may be reluctant to welcome guests they fear might misunderstand them and their culture. Restaurant workers might not have translated menus prepared, and they may not know how to explain their food to people who don't speak Japanese. That was the reason one Okinawa bar owner gave for posting a "Japanese only" sign, according ... read more

Japan is truly timeless, a place where ancient traditions fuse with modern life, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Japan may be small, but with its captivating blend of tradition and modernity – and bustling cities and stunning countryside – it offers a mighty experience to visitors. No matter when you choose to visit, I promise, you'll be on the trip of a lifetime here. In spring, the blossoming of the sakura (cherry blossom trees) creates a beautiful natural display that transforms the country into a vision in pink, luring travelers from all over the globe. Fall ushers in the resplendent koyo(autumn foliage) season, while summer opens the two-month window for summiting Mt Fuji. Winter is a great time for skiers, as Japan’s slopes are dusted with some of the finest ... read more

Have I spent so much time at LAX. I had almost 7 hours between flights. But Mr. Mike is here to monitor my champagne intake. An 11 hour flight to Tokyo is a loooong flight. By the time I arrived at our hotel, I was awake for well over 28 hours. But the hotel is nice, within a 5 min walk to Shinjuku Station. Mike is still the BEST travel companion ever, despite not traversing the world with me for at least 5 years. I can't believe we saw a cantaloupe yesterday with a 32,000 JYen price tag, well over $200 USD!! Friday, cold and dreary. The Sakura (cherry blossoms) are spectacular, and I love the symbolism they find in their short, but repetitive life. So far, no car horns honking and no sirens! Kabukicho, the ... read more

Late start this morning. Left 8:45 and went down the road to the hotel's cafe. We didn't think it had what we wanted, so we decided to go to the Umeda Sky Building. Not best day for it as it's raining, but thats okay. We hailed a taxi because otherwise we'd need to catch a train and bus and with the rain, worth the extra cost ($21). We reached the Umeda Sky Building at 9:10, 20 minutes before opening. We decided to go to the cafe at the top for breakfast. The building is very impressive. The elevator to the 39th floor is glass so you can see 360 degrees as you ascend, then you take an escalator through a glass tube to get to the 40th floor. We had very nice breakfast of coffee and ... read more

Early start so we could try the hotel's buffet breakfast at their Slow Cooking Restaurant. We left at 8:30 and reached Platform 11 easily, for our last Shinkansen bullet train to Osaka departing 9:11. It's been quite easy finding the correct platforms. If you find your trip on Google Maps, it tells you where to go and also the cost. At the station, there are many signs in English, and arrows on the floor, directing you to Shinkansen or JR (Japan Rail) lines. As we took the Shinkansen, it meant we were a little further away from our hotel, meaning another two trains after reaching Shin-Osaka, so we decided to catch a taxi. It was so much easier and was worth the $19. We dropped off our bags again at the Del Style Osaka Higashi Temma ... read more

Left the Sanco Inn Hotel at 8:30 and had plenty of time to buy coffee/ matcha lattes and buns before boarding our Shinkansen bullet train to Hiroshima which left on time as usual at 9:12. It was a very comfortable 90 minute trip. Hotel Flex was an easy 10 minute walk from the station. We again took advantage of the luggage forwarding service, but this time sending all three of our big bags and packing everything into backpacks. This time, Krissy used her bigger backpack and I used the backpack that normally attaches to my Osprey suitcase. It worked quite well, I carried the heavier pack on my back and the second one on my front. We were able to leave our bags at the hotel as we were too early to check in. We then ... read more