Tagged: japan

10 Food Rules to Follow in Japan, Plus the Right Way to Eat Sushi

Have you ever felt intimidated to walk into a Japanese restaurant? With its rich and venerable food culture and emphasis on aesthetics and subtlety, the country has accumulated a large…

Japan's Shizuoka: Mount Fuji From the Other Side

Tokyo to Hakone to Kyoto is such a popular itinerary for first-time travelers to Japan that it’s often called the “Golden Route.” It covers the modern vibrancy of Tokyo, the historic…

The Undiscovered Delights of Japan's Ise-Shima National Park

Most visitors to Japan have Tokyo and Kyoto on their itineraries, as well they should. But just a short detour from that well-traveled route is Ise-Shima National Park, easily reached…

India Is Getting an Underwater Bullet Train

A few years from now, a high-speed bullet train will be zipping along the rails in India—and here's the really cool part: It will go underwater.Part of India's efforts to…

New Trump Hotel and Tower in Vancouver, Trump Slump in New York, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Today's news is all about Trump, towers, and trains. * FAULTING TRUMP SLUMP, NEW YORK NOW EXPECTS FEWER TOURISTS THIS YEAR (Travel Weekly)An estimated 300,000…

Tourists Can Take Martial Arts Classes from Local Police in Japan

A novel activity will soon be on offer for English-speaking tourists in Japan: They can take a martial arts class led by local police officers.Starting in March, hourlong…

Toll Proposed for San Francisco's Famous Crooked Street, Police-Led Martial Arts Classes in Japan, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's cities and thoroughfares. * CAR TOLL FOR SAN FRANCISCO'S LOMBARD STREET PROPOSED TO EASE CONGESTION (Associated Press)A San…

The Visual Guide to Train Tickets and Rail Passes in Japan

A visit to Tokyo may be central to any Japan itinerary, but getting to other Japanese cities, especially on the famous bullet trains, can seem daunting from the outset—there are…

Best Days in 2017 to See Cherry Blossoms in Japan

Spring will get here before you know it—and in Japan, that season means cherry blossoms decorating the country in shades of pink and white.Travelers who'd like to see those…

When to See Cherry Blossoms in Japan, Best Hotels in North America, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's hotels, airports, and weather watchers. * BEST HOTELS IN NORTH AMERICA (U.S. News & World Report)The best hotels in…

Japan Plans Spa-Themed Amusement Park with Hot-Tub Roller Coaster

If you've ever taken a relaxing soak in a hot spring and said, "Gosh, this is nice, but I wish there were some way to throw in the heart-racing thrills of a roller coaster ride,"…

Trump Threatens Cuba Reversal, Japan Plans Hot-Tub Roller Coaster, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's airlines, cruise ships, and theme parks.* TRUMP STILL THREATENING TO REVERSE OBAMA'S CUBA POLICY (CNBC)President-elect…

Though the Timid Tourist is Frightened by a Number of Adverse Travel Conditions, the Value of the U.S. Dollar is Not One of Them. The Dollar is Today Unusually Strong

Perhaps the biggest travel news of the current season is that the U.S. currency remains unusually strong against virtually every other currency. When you travel abroad in the coming…

Canada, Iceland, and Japan are Standouts in a Mostly Sluggish Year for Travel

They call it the "election year curse." For reasons no one can really explain, travel declines slightly during years when the presidency is at stake. Statisticians cite…

Floating Hotels, a Moving Observation Tower, and More: Today's Travel Briefing

Here's what's happening today in the world of travel.* FLOATING HOTELS DRIFT INTO FRANCE AND JAPAN (Forbes/Nikkei Asian Review). Looks like floating hotels could become the latest…

Floating Hotels Drift into France and Japan

Looks like floating hotels could become the latest trend in travel. The hip Hôtel Off Paris Seine is already bobbing in that river near the Pont Charles de Gaulle. And now an…

Yoga Classes and "Star Wars" Droids Take to the Skies: Today's Travel Briefing

Here's what's happening today in the world of travel.* PARENTS NOT SUING DISNEY WORLD OVER TODDLER KILLED BY GATOR (AP). The parents of a toddler killed by an alligator at Walt Disney…

Japanese Airline to Make Jet Look Like "Star Wars" Droid

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) is going to paint one of its Boeing 777 jets to look like the Star Wars character C-3PO. That will make it the fourth Star Wars-themed plane in the…

Asked to Recommend a Batch of "New Destinations" for 2016, I Like to List Locations that Aren't Really "New" but Simply Under-Visited

Travel writers are often asked to name a few "new destinations" for vacationers who like to travel differently.  And dutifully, they respond by naming places of which you've…

The Way of Wanderlust: A Delightful New Book of Travel Essays

By their very definition, travel memoirs introduce readers to corners of the planet they may never get to themselves. But The Way of Wanderlust, a collection of travel essays by…

#1 in #2: Japan Opens First Toilet Museum

I don't know if you've ever sat on one of those futuristic Japanese toilets, but they will change your life. In North America and Europe, toilets plug into the plumbing, but in…

A Strong U.S. Dollar Means Transformation (For the Better) of the American Travel Experience in Many Countries

Contrary to the predictions of numerous conservative politicians who felt that the Administration's policies would weaken the dollar, the exact opposite has occurred: The U.S.…

Such Widely Contrasting Destinations as Japan and Puerto Rico are Today Offering Attractive Vacation Opportunities to Adventuresome Tourists

With its currency currently selling at a breathtaking 125 to the U.S. dollar, Japan has become a moderately priced nation for American travelers. Instead of paying $450 for a…

A Severe Drop in the Value of the Japanese Currency Has Made That Country a Highly Desirable Low-Cost Destination for American Travelers

Several weeks ago, when the value of the Japanese Yen plummeted to a rate of 100 to the U.S. dollar, people in the travel industry awoke to the emergence of a new…

Against All the Warnings of Radioactive Dangers, Americans Are Traveling to Japan in Unprecedented Numbers

American tourism to Japan is again booming.  In the month of June just past, nearly 90,000 Americans visited the great cities of Japan (especially Tokyo and Kyoto), more than ever…