UPDATE: The entry form in Japanese is up and running. Here is the link Ultra Trail Mt Fuji Registration. There is a blue button with a pencil mark on it near the top of the article. That’s where you click to get to the application. When I clicked, there was a message saying that it…
There is a lot of good news for people looking to travel to Japan during February. Tickets tend to be cheaper because it’s the off season for travel. Also, if you time it right you can get up to Sapporo for the annual ice festival which is to be held from February 7th to February…
This is an awesome video I came across while flipping through some of the videos nominated for YouTube Video Awards in Japan for 2010. This was taken in Hokkaido and is one of the most beautiful scenes one could see. I really love Hokkaido and all the beauty and nature that really separates it from…
It’s Hanami season again. Hanami is the traditional viewing of cherry blossoms in Japan. The season is just about starting out now with the earliest bloom scheduled for about March 14th in Fukuoka and the latest cherry blossom blooming scheduled for Sapporo and above, starting in the first few days of May. If you don’t…
UPDATE: Video replaced with more recent video of Misaki Omukai (including an interview) Iwate Prefecture, Kuji City Japanese online bulletin boards are alive after a Japanese Ama Diver (the women and very rarely men who dive for abalone (called “awabi” in Japanese) with virtually no equipment. It is one of the old traditional occupations in…
If you have always wanted to see Mount Fuji but never had the chance you can always try watching through this webcam. I have heard there are a few webcams to use to get your Mount Fuji fix, but this is far and away the best one. Here is the webcam that will show Mount…
Shizuoka is known for many things in Japan, most of all Mount Fuji, but followed closely by green tea! The mountainous and wet environment makes it a perfect place for growing delicious tea… and the tea fields look pretty good as you drive by on the highway or ride by on the train or shinkansen….
The Japan Weather Association has updated its forecast for cherry blossom viewing dates with a nice new map and more detailed information. Even if you don’t know the kanji or Chinese characters for the place you’ll be, check out the convenient curvy lines that show the divisions. The time is near, so if you are…
If you are going to be in Japan on March 21 and March 22, you will have the chance to not only enjoy the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Viewing Season in Japan, but also to see the “Bajo Yumikurabe”, also known as “Yabusame” when done in a religious context. That is, you will get…
Note if you are looking for 2010’s, it is here: Sakura Cherry Blossom 2010 Blooming Calendar The Japan Weather Association has finally released its forecast for the blooming of this year’s cherry blossoms, called sakura in Japanese. Also, here is a page with a detailed cherry blossom forecast in English based on the Japan Weather…