All About Japan

All About Japan’s Top Five Tea-Producing Regions

Japanese tea, well-known worldwide for its delicate taste and health benefits, hails primarily from five Japanese prefectures. Get to know their different characteristics.

Tokyo's Best Afternoon Tea Spots

Don your best frock and put your pinkies up! Here are some of the best places to have afternoon tea in Tokyo.

Kumamon Invites You to The Perfect Weekend in Kumamoto City

A insider's guide to the perfect weekend in this vibrant and fascinating city, home to Kumamon, the celebrity character.

Bring Japan’s Springtime into Your Kitchen

In Japan, spring doesn’t just bring cherry blossoms and blue skies. It comes with a number of delicious, fresh ingredients that are unavailable at other times of the year. Let’s take a look at those ingredients and how to make the most of them!

Five Hokkaido Dishes to Warm Up Your Winter!

When the winter weather on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido turns delightfully cold, you can be sure that these local dishes will warm you up from the inside.

Spend Your Summer in Japan in Cool, Cool Hakuba

Temperatures sizzling hot? Here’s how to plan a nature-filled getaway to Hakuba in the summer.

Hakko Department: One-Stop Shop for All Things Fermented in Trendy Shimokitazawa

How one man is aiming to change the world with Japan's fermentation culture.

A Perfect Weekend in Kobe

Kobe is Kansai's best-kept secret. Its foreign influence is a great attraction, while often overlooked is its ancient history and natural beauty. This guide sets you on track for an awesome weekend getaway.

5 Awesome Plant-Based, Vegan Restaurants in Tokyo

Tokyo is known as the restaurant capital of the world, and vegans don't need to miss out. Here are some of the tastiest vegan restaurants in Tokyo that don't just serve salad.

The Perfect Weekend Tour of Fukuoka City

A long-time resident shares her knowledge of mouth-watering local food spots, great shopping and open green space in one of Japan's most fascinating regional capitals.

The Most Important Japanese Shrine You've Never Heard Of

While Usa Jingu Shrine is the most prestigious shine of the Shinto religion after Ise Jingu Shrine, it is little known, even among many Japanese. But it is an important part of Japan's religious history, and gateway to the fascinating Kunisaki peninsula.

Tokyo's Coolest Farmers Market: A Sustainable Community at UN University

Tokyo's largest farmers market is a hub for regional produce, tasty street food . . . and ideas for building a better future

The Perfect Weekend on the Yokohama Waterfront

Yokohama is often overlooked by the bigger, brighter lights of Tokyo and Osaka. Big mistake! Japan’ second largest city has developed a unique identity influenced by Western and Chinese culture. We’ve complied a guide for the perfect two day trip.

Summer In Japan: Make Your Own Fruit Liqueur

A Step by Step Guide to Making Japanese Fruit Liqueur

Getting Your Matcha Fix in Tokyo

If you're a fan of tea's most intense flavors, then here is a list of places where you can get your fix of Japanese matcha tea. From the simple to the fancy, these places will satisfy those cravings.

Great Kansai Craft Beer Breweries and Taprooms

The Kansai region of central Japan is enjoying a craft beer boom. Here is a six-pack selection of some of the best local breweries and taprooms.

Sweet, Sour, and Everything In Between: The Aromatic World of Japanese Citrus

Get a primer on Japanese citrus beforeWith over a hundred varieties grown throughout the country today, citrus has plenty of uses in Japan, from fruit snacks to alcoholic drinks.your next trip to the supermarket!

Super Soy: Japan’s Rich Miscellany of Miso

Miso is full of surprises. Not only is it packed with umami and probiotics, it comes in more than 1,000 varieties. Learn more about its properties and how it can be used.

Good Reads: A Passion for Japan

In this new book, 31 foreigners who have made Japan their long-term home share their passions, from sumo to baseball, traditional festivals, martial arts, the tea ceremony, and many more.

The Perfect Weekend in Okayama

One of a series of Perfect Weekends in Japanese cities. Lovers of art, food, history, and nature will all find something to help them spend a fantastic weekend in Okayama.

know-before-you-go