NINJA Café & Bar
ABOUT Welcome to NINJA Cafe & Bar!! We are the NINJA-themed entertainment cafe & bar in “Asakusa”, Tokyo’s largest tourist destination. We offer you not… Read More »NINJA Café & Bar
ABOUT Welcome to NINJA Cafe & Bar!! We are the NINJA-themed entertainment cafe & bar in “Asakusa”, Tokyo’s largest tourist destination. We offer you not… Read More »NINJA Café & Bar
ABOUT Japanese and Taiwanese fusion restaurant where you can enjoy pork-gyoza (ravioli, dumplings) which earned #1 ranking on Tripadvisor. The small and retro spot is… Read More »Gyopao Gyoza Roppongi
Japanese culture can get pretty weird when looking at it from an outside perspective. LIVE JAPAN asked different people about their thoughts about the culture of Japan, and about their personal culture shocks. This time, a woman from the United States, living in Japan for a long time, talks about her unique experience.
(The following reflects the personal opinions of those interviewed only)
1. The Weird Tastes and Names of Original Japanese Food
Japanese food is one of the things that is responsible for one or the other culture shock. Naturally, a lot of Japan’s dishes have their roots in American food culture but usually are uniquely arranged and can taste rather different from their counterparts in the States – at least for someone who is used to the American taste!
“McDonald’s tastes the same, of course, but it is interesting to see that Japan’s McDonald’s offers very Japanese things like the matcha milkshake or McFlurry. The pumpkin fries for Halloween or the chocolate sauce fries,..
Sado Island (Sadogashima / 佐渡島), one of Japan's largest islands, is located off the coast of Niigata Prefecture. With its unique history, Sado Island was once known as a place of exile.
However, today it is a destination for those off the beaten path, famous not only for its stunning natural scenery but also for being one of the few places in which Japan's traditional culture is preserved.
Here we'll introduce sightseeing spots and experiences that you will not want to miss out on when visiting Sado Island, as well as how to get there.
A microcosm of Japan: What kind of place is Sadogashima?
Sado Island, also known as Sadogashima, is the largest island on the side of the Sea of Japan, with a size that is one-and-a-half times that of central Tokyo.
In the surrounding ocean, warm and cold currents intersect, resulting in various types of seafood such as crab, shrimp, squid, amberjack, and tuna being caught, as well as an abundance of products of the sea such as oysters,..
The Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri) is a popular snow and ice festival in Hokkaido, held from February 4–11, 2023, at Sapporo's Odori Park. One of this delightful festival's charms is getting to enjoy the many strikingly detailed snow sculptures that are exhibited.
Here we'll share what the festival is all about, and how you can enjoy it to the fullest, too!
Book now! Hotels in Hokkaido for the Sapporo Snow Festival
What is the Sapporo Snow Festival?
Since its start in 1950, the Sapporo Snow Festival has been an annually celebrated winter tradition. This year, it's scheduled to be held for the 72nd time. The main attraction at this event is the various-sized snow sculptures.
Welcoming up to five meters of snow yearly, Sapporo is in a region with hefty snowfall. Each year, 30,000 tons of snow are gathered to make impressive snow sculptures using heavy machinery.
Here you can find of range of sculptures with different themes. Some of these include sculpt..
It’s the middle of summer and I step off the overnight bus from Osaka. I was pleasantly surprised by clear blue skies when I expected another typical muggy day in Japan. The destination is Kawaguchi, on the north side of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture.
My companions were a bunch of buddies from Kobe, two experienced campers and three amateurs. Wiping the sleep from our eyes, we marched towards the banks of Lake Kawaguchi where we make our camp.
Establishing basecamp
Photo: Fergus GreggThe weary travelers rest after setting up camp.
Situated next to the bridge that spans Lake Kawaguchi, the New Bridge Campsite was where we chose to spend the next three nights. For three nights of camping and access to the amenities, I paid ¥4,000.
As the others were tired from the trip, I elected to go on the first supply run, but I’d need transport. Lucky for me, just down the road from the campsite was the hotel Shiki no Yado Fujisan, which rented me a bike for three days for ¥1,200.
Photo: iS..
One of the great joys in work is creation—we’re all building something. Some people construct homes and offices. Others make beautiful art and music and delicious food. Some people are in IT and create software that makes our lives easier. We’re all creating.
This month, I wanted to feature a few professions that occupy more creative space: engineers, finance pros, wordsmiths and marketers.
1. Investor relations wordsmith wanted
When it comes to job listings in Japan, I enjoy the rare post that avoids talking about salary upfront. Often, it means there is significant room for negotiation, and when it comes to salaries in Japan, that is an excellent thing. Case in point: Tokyo’s e-Associates have urgent calls for investor relations pros who translate and do native checking.
If you live in Japan, have some experience working in finance, possess JLPT certification (preferably an N1), and are looking for a freelance opportunity in an industry that’ll only continue to grow, applying woul..
The deliciousness of Japanese rice: A flavor born of artisan perfectionism
Rice is Japan’s staple food. Rice cultivation is thought to have begun in Japan some 3,000 years ago, during the Jōmon period. With temperate, rainy weather, and lots of soil great for making rice paddies, rice cultivation has always thrived in Japan.
But growing rice takes a lot of work: one must plant their rice, weed their fields, then harvest and thresh the fine crop. With rice cultivation at the center of human lives, it fostered a culture of teamwork in agricultural communities. During the Edo period, annual taxes were paid in rice, and it was valued as currency. The people with the most rice had prosperity and power.
Later in the early Meiji period with the implementation of coinage, rice settled as a purchased product, rather than purchasing power. In the wake of World War II, rice shortages spurred the improvement of rice strains to increase harvests.
After that, bread and noodles joined rice to become ..
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!
Game TesterCompany: Lionbridge JapanSalary: ¥1,050 ~ ¥1,200 / HourLocation: Kanagawa, JapanEnglish: Business levelJapanese: ConversationalApplication: Must currently reside in JapanLionbridge is looking for Game Testers to carefully validate games' quality of functionality and gameplay.
Your main duties will be running test cases, reporting bugs and ensuring customer satisfaction.
You must have business-level English, extensive gaming experience and up-to-date knowledge of various genres. Students and Working Holiday visa holders are very welcome.
Share this Job Apply Here
Operating Staff for “teamLab Planets” Art MuseumCompany: PlanetsSalary: ¥1,200 ~ ¥1,450 / HourLocation: Tokyo, JapanEnglish: Business levelJapane..
In the birthplace of instant chicken ramen, there is the CUPNOODLES MUSEUM Osaka Ikeda. From the first chicken ramen ever made to the creation of “Space Ram”, instant ramen eaten by astronauts in outer space, and the cup noodles that have taken the world by storm, you can enjoy learning about the history of cup noodles.
At the “My Cup Noodles Factory”, you can even make your own original cup noodles!
What kind of place is the CUPNOODLES MUSEUM?
Andō Momofuku, the inventor of instant ramen, created the world’s first cup noodles, and became the founder of Nissin Foods. Ikeda City in Osaka, the birthplace of cup noodles, CUPNOODLES MUSEUM Osaka Ikeda was started in 1999 to detail the invention of instant ramen, with the hopes of spreading the message that everyone has the chance to be an inventor.
The museum is five minutes by foot from the Hankyu Takarazuka Line’s Ikeda station, which is 20 minutes away from Osaka Umeda station.
When the museum first opened in 1999, there was only an e..