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Japan posts
Life in Japan, from sushi's perspective
Jan 17th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
In Japan, conveyor belt sushi, or kaiten-zushi, is the equivalent of a burger joint or taco stand: a cheap, quick dining option for people from all walks of life. At kaiten-zushi establishments, small plates of sushi, sashimi, and other Japanese specialties are placed on a rotating conveyor belt. Diners select multiple plates to make themselves a meal, and the bill is tallied at the end ...
Ivory poaching on the rise thanks to Asian demand and a legal loophole
Jan 2nd, 2012 at 4:00PM: The poaching of elephant tusks is a growing problem due to increased demand from Asian nations, the Kenyan newspaper Business Daily reports.
A loophole in the UN law regulating the ivory trade allows Japan and China to legally purchase some ivory from selected nations under tightly controlled contracts. This has encouraged poachers to smuggle their illegal goods to Asia. Once there, it's much ...New eco-friendly destination for 2012: Yoyogi Village, Japan
Dec 22nd, 2011 at 3:00PM: While the existence of the Yoyogi Village in Tokyo, Japan, is nothing new, it has never been much of a tourist destination. Aside from Yoyogi Park, one of the largest parks in Tokyo, there has never been too much there to draw the attention of visitors. That has all changed this past November, as the rarely-noticed area has been completely remodeled to be an eco-friendly hub of activity.
The ...Uncornered Market Q&A: Audrey and Dan on Iran
Dec 8th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Uncornered Market is one of the most popular travel blogs out there. A quick gander will demonstrate why this is the case. Audrey Scott and Dan Noll's labor of love boasts some of the most arresting travel photography around. The subjects the two take on are of broad interest as well--from reflections on cultural traffic to recipes, to reflections on the importance of diplomacy on a personal ...4 unique accommodations in Japan
Nov 25th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Accommodations like hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and apartments are often the norm for people going on a trip. When traveling in Japan, however, there are a few lodging options that are a bit out of the ordinary, but are definitely worth checking out.
Ryokan/Minshuku
If you're looking for an authentic local experience, a ryokan can provide that. This type of accommodation is a ...Vice TV kicks off All the Wrong Places travel series (and contests)
Nov 20th, 2011 at 5:00PM:
Our friends at VICE TV just launched a new travel series over on their site called All the Wrong Places. In typical VICE fashion the videos focus on fringe topics and travel culture, but unlike some of the previous guides (see: Congo or Liberia) ATWP destinations are attainable and even aspirational to most sane travelers. Unique to the series, though, is that they're actually taking everyday ...
Frommer's reveals top destinations for 2012
Oct 25th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
What destination are you dreaming of for 2012? The staff at Frommer's have just unveiled their list of top travel destinations for the coming year. Included in the list is a little something for everyone: large metropolises, secluded beach towns, colorful riverside villas, and more.
But Frommer's didn't just rely on their expert editors and author's for this years list--they also polled ...Video: eating puffer fish in Japan
Oct 18th, 2011 at 7:00PM:
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Unconventional new eco-tour will take travelers through Japan's tsunami debris
Oct 9th, 2011 at 2:00PM: While most eco-tours use activities such as bird watching, rafting, and hiking to highlight regional issues, a new tour, led by expedition leader Marcus Eriksen, will take a different approach. Beginning May, 2012, travelers will have the opportunity to sail via yacht through floating islands of debris left from the March 11, 2011, tsunami in Japan. Tourists will see first-hand the pollution ...Video of the Day: Paper Osaka
Aug 8th, 2011 at 6:30PM:
People spend a lot of time complaining about airlines, and often that criticism is rightly deserved. It's rare that you hear airlines getting praised for any sort of creativity. However, we have to tip our caps to Air Asia for their nifty little video announcing their newest destination, Osaka. It's a clever animation that highlights some of Osaka's quirks and isn't just a boring commercial ...
Traveler Q & A: Pavia Rosati
Aug 2nd, 2011 at 9:30AM: Pavia Rosati is the founder of Fathom, a recently debuted travel website. Fathom is smart and beautifully designed. It's full of exciting short briefs about various destinations across the globe.
Rosati, as you'll see from her answers below, is an experienced editor and an avid traveler. Her enthusiasm for Fathom's subject matter is palpable and infectious. We love Fathom and can't wait to see ...Video: Kyoto's 9h, a capsule hotel
Jul 28th, 2011 at 12:30PM:
Kyoto's nine-hour hotel isn't a new concept, but rather, a new take on a popular Japanese business. The 9h hotel is, at its heart, exactly what its name sounds like. The planned stay includes one hour to shower, seven hours to sleep and one hour to rest. The minimum stay is four hours, and the maximum is 17 at a rate of 300 to 400 yen per hour. Check-in is available at any hour of the day, 365 ...A miniature city from up on high
Jul 19th, 2011 at 11:30AM:
From high above the city, jusojin captured this time-lapse AND tilt-shift video that miniaturizes the bustling city of Osaka, Japan. Trivializing every aspect of the Osaka hustle provides a toyish cityscape where people are reduced to ants and cars look like turbocharged micro machines in a lavish play-set.
Jusojin shot the video from the roof of the Umeda Sky Building - a two towered ...
Photo of the day - What's for dinner?
Jul 1st, 2011 at 5:00PM:
Food photography (or less delicately, food porn) are always a popular travel subject. Travelers love to capture the unusual, the delicious, and the beautiful eats of the world. This shot by Flickr user Marisoleta of
a live lobster tied up in Kyoto, Japan manages to be all three. Marisoleta explains that it was part of an offering demonstrated by a priest in one of Kyoto's largest festivals, and ...Travel to Japan returning to normal, slowly
Jun 6th, 2011 at 7:00AM: In the wake of the major earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit Japan in March, travel disruptions were fueled by a rising death toll, fear of a nuclear disaster plus travel warnings issued worldwide. Now, just a few months later, flights, tours and cruises are returning to normal scheduling.
"We are confident of returning the capacity to full level on July 1" Japan Airlines President Masaru ...Pillow Fight World Cup kicks off in Brooklyn
May 17th, 2011 at 1:30PM: Eurovision chose a winner this weekend and the Olympics aren't for another year, so what sporting event will next unite countries and provide entertainment for the world? Tonight is the first-ever Pillow Fight World Cup and participants from Sweden, Japan, Austria, and, of course, the United States are expected to compete. Did we mention the pillow fight entrants are all female? Rest assured, this ...Ode to the expat newspaper
May 3rd, 2011 at 3:00PM: One of my favorite things about traveling, in addition to foreign supermarkets, oddball museums, and miniature toiletries, is the local English-language expat newspaper. When I'm home in New York, I tend to get all my news online, either directly from news websites through specific searches or curated from friends' links on social media (one of the best sources for news from US newspapers is ...What I learned about earthquake preparedness
Apr 28th, 2011 at 12:00PM: When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck on March 11th, I was working from home here in Tokyo. Having grown accustomed over the years to frequent tremors, I foolishly proceeded to ignore the early warning signs. But when the low rumble grew into intense shaking, I quickly realized that it was time to enact my exit plan.
In 20/20 hindsight, it was not a very good exit plan.
I grabbed my ...The world's ten creepiest abandoned cities
Apr 27th, 2011 at 11:00AM:
Some cities die. The people leave, the streets go quiet, and the isolation takes on the macabre shape of a forlorn ghost-town - crumbling with haunting neglect and urban decay. From Taiwan to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, these abandoned cities lurk in the shadows of civilization. Their histories are carried in hushed whispers and futures stillborn from the day of their ...The future of Japanese fishing
Apr 19th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Given the hammering Japan's fishing towns took thanks to the earthquake/tsunami and the continued leaking of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant it is legitimate to question the future of fish in the region.
Just like the fishermen in the Gulf after the BP spill, seafood providers across Japan are concerned about an inevitable public relations fall out even if its fish stays available and safe, ...
