The Tokyo Traveler

Are you brining kids with you when you visit Tokyo?  I am a big advocate about reading and learning about a destination before I visit and Kids Web Japan offers a lot of great information that is accessible, understandable and fun for children of all ages.
Read folk tales from Japan or learn about native foods and dress.  Learn more about what’s cool, the language or even play some virtual games.  There is a lot of information available on this great website and it is one that I recommend exploring with or without your kids.
The time spent learning about Japan …read more

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Katsushika-ku is home to over 400 thousand people in a little less than 35 square kilometers.  The ward was the setting for a famous Japanese movie “Otoko wa Tsuraiyo”, in English “It Is Hard To Be A Man”, and a statue of the lead character, Tora-san can bee seen near the Shimabata Station.
Also near Shimabata Station is Taishakuten Temple where you can browse a 200 meter long strip of shops selling dumplings, candy and traditional toys on your way the temple.

Mizumoto Park (PDF) is home to over 600 cherry trees, the largest concentration of Japanese Irises in Tokyo and …read more

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Absolut Icebar Tokyo is the first permanent icebar in Japan and when it opened in February of 2006 it was the first Abbsolut Icebar outside of Europe.  Everything in the bar from the walls to the bar itself, the tables and chairs and even your glass is made from crystal clear ice from the Torne River in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden.
Cover is Y3,500 for a 45 minute visit, long enough as the temperature is kept at a chilly minus 5 degrees Celsius year around, and includes a cape to keep you warm during your stay and a Vodka cocktail (or non-alcoholic …read more

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The Antique Mall Ginza is home to approximately 300 shops that sell European, Asian and Japanese antiques as well as antique Kimonos, fabric and Japanese furniture.  Visit the shops in the mall to find that one of a kind treasure that will always remind you of your time in Tokyo or pick up some great souvenirs for your friends and family. Conveniently located just off Ginza’s famous Chou Dori, the Antique Mall Ginza is easily accessible from a number of number of Tokyo Metro Stations and is open daily from 11AM to 7PM except on Wednesdays.
Image Credit: Flickr, Things

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Maru serves an excellent modern take on traditional kaiseki cuisine in Omotesando.  Read the Maru review at The Japan Times.
If candy and sweet things are more your speed then read all about Japanese candy at NYMag.
Leah Dizon, a Gravure Idol (read bikini model and video star) in Japan, recently got married and W. David Marx talks about the Japanese entertainment industry in an interesting article at his blog, Neojaponisme.
The Jenss family blog about their visit to Tokyo at Intelligent Travel.
Image Credit:  Flickr, Candy Stand

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Plan to visit the Aoyama Cemetery on your next trip to Tokyo.  Believe it, or not, Tokyoites use this cemetery as a place to enjoy the cherry blossoms each spring and as a jogging or walking are year round.  Aoyama Cemetery offers a beautiful park-like setting in the heart of Tokyo.
“Aoyama Cemetery, perhaps best described as an urban oasis, has been in existence for over 130 years. As one of the four city-owned cemeteries, it is the eternal resting place of over 120,000 graves, including many politicians, writers, Hachiko the famous loyal dog, and nearly 200 foreigners since the Meiji …read more

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Have you even wondered what Japan was like during the time of the post WWII occupation? Many of us are very familiar with the Japan boom of the 80’s and the bust that followed in the 90’s but most of us have only read about post WWII Japan in text books that don’t really touch on what life was like for the Japanese and the occupying forces during this time.
“Everything along the coast must have been built close together, because now it is endless rubble. There is no open country when you leave town.
You are smack-jam in another community …read more

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Itabashi-ku is home to over 500 thousand people in a little more than 32 square kilometers.  In English, Itabashi means “plank bridge” which recalls an early, innovative bridge, that spanned one of the rivers flowing through the ward in the Heian Period (794-1185).
The area is home to a number of sights and attractions including the Itabashi Art Museum and the Itabashi Historical Museum (pictured below).

The Itabashi City website offers information for foreigners and visitors including seasonal events and traditional arts & crafts from the area. The sightseeing guide around ITABASHI ART MUSEUM provides some great options when planning a visit …read more

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Kendama is a game that came to Japan in the Edo period and was a popular form of entertainment.  Kendama is also know as Nichi Getsu Ball, or Sun Moon Ball, in Japan and is based upon the French game ‘Bilboquet’ meaning ‘cup and ball’ which has roots that can be traced back to the 11th century.  Yep, it’s an old game and it was one of the first real toy crazes in the early 1700’s according to the British Kendama Association. 
A kendama (pictured on the right) is a traditional wooden toy that consists of a ball connected …read more

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Many of the idioms that native English speakers use regularly are not understood well by the Japanese and often make no sense to them when translated literally.  For those of you interested in the Japanese language you may find it interesting to know that the reverse is true for some Japanese expressions.  Nihon no Kotowaza has put together a great listing of these idioms with sound files and comparisons to the equivalent English expressions.
This is one of my favorites:

Pronunciation:
Juu-nin to-iro (listen)
Literal Translation:
Ten people, ten colors.
The equivalent idiom in English would be “To each their own” or “Different strokes for different …read more

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