What comes to your mind when someone says Kobe, Japan? I assume wagyu beef! ;) Kobe beef is, after all, famous worldwide. So when we decided to do a daytrip to Kobe, we knew that eating this expensive beef would be our main priority. Plus there was also this pretty illumination… But that’s much later. So let’s focus on our main reason for visiting Kobe… Wakkoqu Kobe Beef (Shin-Kobe Branch) There are obviously plenty of restaurants …
9 articles Tag winter
{Japan Winter} Kobe: Be enlightened by wagyu beef & Luminarie winter illumination
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{Japan Winter} Kyoto (Part 5): Festival of lights at Arashiyama Hanatouro
Did you know that twice a year, Kyoto lights up with super gorgeous illuminations? It’s called Hanatouro and it’s spectacular. Hanatouro is held in March at Higashiyama area and in December at Arashiyama. I’m privileged enough to have been to both now (humble brag, mm hmm), so do read up on the Higashiyama Hanatouro if you want. After our walk along the quieter side of Arashiyama, we began our journey of enlightenment (well, you know, searching for …
{Japan Winter} Shirakawa-go, Gifu: Snow-covered fairytale heritage village
What’s better than a snow-covered town? A snow covered UNESCO world heritage village that looked like it came out of a fairy tale, of course! And that was exactly what Shirakawa-go looked like on the day that we visited. Only about an hour away from Takayama by bus, Shirakawa-go is a beautiful little village famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means “constructed like hands in prayer”, as …
{Japan Winter} Takayama, Gifu (Part 1): Cute little town covered in snow
People often ask me: “what’s there to do in Japan when it’s winter?” or “is there any small town you’d recommend in Japan?”. Well, here’s my answer: visit Takayama (and Shirakawa-go)! Takayama (高山) is a city in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. The city is also commonly referred to as Hida-Takayama. Takayama retains a traditional touch like few other Japanese cities, especially in its beautifully preserved old town. Source: Japan-Guide.com We took a train …
{Japan Winter} Nabana no Sato, Nagashima: Japan’s spectacular winter illumination
The Japanese love their winter illuminations. Some illumination would end on Christmas Day, however others extend up until late February or even March. And if you are visiting Japan during this time, I would highly recommend planning a trip to one of the ridiculously gorgeous winter illumination spots. My favourite so far has to be Nabana no Sato (なばなの里) in Nagashima, Mie prefecture. During the day (and for most of the year), Nabana no Sato …
10 things you’ll miss from Japan (Part 2: Winter edition)
If you love winter, you’re going to love Japan! This is part two of the four part series of “10 things you’ll miss from Japan”, the first part is all about food and it is glorious. If you have friends who love skiing, you’ve probably heard them talk about Japan in winter. You’re not going to find that in my list today, because I don’t do exercise and extreme sports is scary. Yes, I’m sad like that. …
{Japan Winter} Nakano, Tokyo: The vintage anime paradise (And and a taste of Shinjuku)
How many suburbs can you fit in your travel itinerary for one day? I had that question in mind when trying to schedule our Japan trip back in December 2013. With more than a week to spend in Tokyo, I wanted to fit as much as I could, without sacrificing on the enjoyment. So on the second day, I decided to venture to Mitaka/Kichijoji and Nakano as they were located not far from each other …
{Japan Winter} Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, Tokyo: A glimpse into Hayao Miyazaki’s creative mind
On our recent trip to Tokyo in December 2013, we spent more than one week in Tokyo. We have an obsessive fascination towards this city after our first visit in 2012. This time around, we planned more and explored various neighbourhood that might’ve been left out from a Japan travel itinerary for first time visitors. Our second day in Tokyo was spent wandering around Kichijoji and its neighbour, Mitaka. Plenty of fun and heaps of …
{Japan Winter} Shibuya & Harajuku, Tokyo: Exploring the youth culture
On the 30th of November 2013, we left Melbourne for our second Japan adventure, this time with another couple on board and a more planned trip. We were very excited to be able to re-visit the country that we fell in love with during our honeymoon. I’ve really enjoyed recapping the previous 2012 honeymoon trip so I’ve decided that I should do it again this time. Mind you, there are plenty of photos because obviously …