Travel Tips

One of the prettiest places for seeing cherry blossoms is Kyoto! Many of the famous Kyoto cherry blossom spots have weeping cherry trees and double-flowered cherry trees, making for breathtaking photos. Tourists are treated to the city's unique, luxurious annual blossom viewing when the trees reach full bloom in early April.
Here are ten locations carefully selected from among Kyoto's many famous cherry blossom sites, along with information on the best time for viewing and associated festivals for your reference when visiting the ancient capital.
Main image: Travelpixs / Shutterstock.com
1. Yodogawa Kasen Park: A masterpiece of riverside cherry blossom tunnels
First-time visitors will often Tweet, “What an amazing place!”
Yodogawa Kasen Park is a national park covering a vast river area that straddles Kyoto and Osaka prefectures. The park's Sewaritei area in Yawata City is located on a 1.4 kilometer-long bank between the Uji and Kizu rivers, where they converge with the ..

Learning to cook with seasonal, local ingredients is the first step to fitting into a new country. In Japan, this is especially fun because you usually always find something unique!

Let this list guide you, and use it the next time you go shopping. See if you can spot these ingredients and try them out when you’re in the kitchen.

1. Miso paste
Photo: iStock/ TatayaKudoThe easiest way to tell miso apart is by the color.
Made of soybeans and rice or barley, these ingredients are ground up, salt is added and the paste is allowed to ferment until the paste takes on a salty and deeply savory flavor. The easiest way for a novice to pick one out is by color. The three prominent colors of miso paste are white miso paste (shiro), yellow miso paste (tanshoku) and red miso paste (aka).

White or shiro miso paste has the mildest flavor of the three. This paste is a great one to start with if you’ve never used miso paste before.

Yellow or tanshoku paste has a saltier profile than white miso past..

What comes to mind when hearing the words “traditional Japanese culture”? For many, green tea is one of the most obvious symbols connected to Japanese culture. Green tea is strongly associated with Japan; it’s more than just a drink, it’s tradition. In particular, the ceremonial preparation of Japanese matcha, the powdered form of green tea, is revered in Japan as a traditional ritual that is preserved to this day. To the foreign eye, the Japanese tea ceremony has long been regarded as something of an enigma: fascinating, yet arcane. Even most Japanese people do not fully know the intricacies involved in performing this ritual.
However, an increasing number of tea houses have begun opening their doors to matcha novices, offering instruction and authentic experiences to Japanese and international visitors. Waraku-An, located just two stops from Shibuya, is one such place that welcomes both Japanese and English speakers the chance to participate in an authentic Japanese tea ceremony!
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If you’re looking to work in Japan, check back here each week as we look through our database of top jobs in Japan posted to GaijinPot and showcase some of the most interesting ones.

You can apply directly to these companies by creating a profile on GaijinPot Jobs!

Public School ALTCompany: Altia Central Salary: ¥240,000 ~ ¥240,000 / MonthLocation: Aichi, JapanEnglish: Native levelJapanese: ConversationalApplication: Overseas applications OKAltia Central has opened its overseas application for ALT positions at public schools in Japan.
Prior ESL, eikaiwa (English conversation schools), ALT experience or at the very least, some previous experience teaching young learners is preferred.
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Editor/Test-Content SpecialistCompany: Benesse CorporationSalary: ¥296,000 / Month, Summer and winter bonuses (each about 444,000 yen)Location: Tokyo, JapanEnglish: Native levelJapanese: ConversationalApplication: Must currently reside in JapanBenesse is looking for a native En..

The following is a recommended sightseeing course starting from Atami Station, which includes all that you would like to do in Atami, such as hot spas, gourmet seafood dishes, and relaxation at the beach. Atami has many aspects, including hustle-bustle near Atami Station and a nostalgic atmosphere in the back streets. It is recommended to take the Yu-Yu Bus to visit Atami Castle on the hill.
1.Explore along Atami's Nakamise shopping street with its incredible array of shops!2.Atami's fresh seafood dishes are sure to satisfy!3.Atami onsen: Incredible area for Tokyo day trippers looking to relax at Atami's hot springs!4.Atami Sun Beach: Resort area with a tropical atmosphere!5.The most photographed place with a statue based on a novel6.Atami Castle: An observatory commanding a view of the whole area!1.Explore along Atami's Nakamise shopping street with its incredible array of shops!
Along Nakamise shopping street and Heiwa shopping street, close to Atami Station, are ..

Enjoying autumn leaves in Miyagi is magical. In fall, when many tree leaves turn into is a fundamental part of Japan's fall season, and where better to catch sight of their lovely hues than in Miyagi, a prefecture known for its closeness with nature and all the beautiful benefits it brings?
We've compiled ten must-visit hotspots for autumn foliage within the prefecture into one handy list for your convenience, including exciting places like impressive valleys and historical shrines. Hopefully, some of them will pique your interest!
Main image credit: Miyagi Prefecture Tourism Division
5 Akiu Onsen Ryokan You Have to Stay in at Least Once in Your Life
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1. Naruko Gorge: A V-shaped canyon covered in red and yellow
Photo credits: Miyagi Prefecture Tourism Division
The famous Naruko Gorge is about a 10-minute drive away from Naruko-Onsen Station on the JR Lines and contains one of the most recognizable autumn foliage scenery associat..

It’s no secret that Japan loves gifts. Whenever a co-worker returns from a holiday or business trip, they’ll bring you something small from the region. Other gifts are often exchanged when visiting a home, celebrating a festival, or when you simply haven’t seen someone in a while.

But what about when you don’t know the person that well? What’s a good housewarming gift for your neighbor or when you want to apologize? Well, then you’d give them a towel of course! What else?

If you’re not from Japan, a towel may not be what first comes to mind, so let’s learn more about this cultural phenomenon.

Why towels?
Photo: iStock/ GOLFXStrong connections in your towel and in life.
There is a good reason for giving towels as a gift. Towels are made by weaving threads together, which makes them a good omen for lasting relationships.

With that in mind, towels are also considered a nice wedding gift, as they are reminiscent of the “Red Thread of Fate” that connects two destined lovers. Money is us..