This month’s Japan By Numbers number is 45. 45 of the 50 busiest train stations in the world are Japanese train stations. Here is a list of the 50 busiest train stations in the world. The top 10 (all Japanese train stations) include the average number of people using the station everyday. 1 Shinjuku Station...Read More
This months number is 266. That is number of Japanese restaurants per person in Japan. This is the highest rate anywhere in the world. The country with the second highest number of restaurants in the world is America with 547 restaurants per person. 34 – The number of Michelin 3 star ranked restaurants in Japan....Read More
Millions of Japanese all over Japan start their day with Rajio Taiso, or Radio Calistenics. It is something almost every Japanese person has participated in, and everyone in Japan is familiar with it. In 1928, the program started broadcasting on radio. And in 1957, it started broadcasting on television. Today, every morning at 6:30AM, the...Read More
In Hiroshima, it is called “okonomiyaki”. But everywhere else in Japan it is called “Hiroshimayaki” to differentiate it from the Osaka-style okonomiyaki. While there are similarities between the two, there are also differences. For those who do not know what okonomiyaki is, it can best be described as a savory pancake. Other than the basic ingredients...Read More
This month’s number is 342. There are 342 Shinkansen everyday between Tokyo and Osaka (171 in each direction). The trains will normally start operating about 6:30AM and stop at about 12:30AM. That means there is a train every 6.3 minutes. 1964 – The year the Shinkansen started operating 285/177 – Maximum speed of the Tokaido...Read More
On April 25, 2019, the Hiroshima Peace Museum fully reopened after being partially closed for several years for earthquake-proofing renovations. While the work continues on the outside of the building, the inside has been completed and the museum and all of its exhibits have been completely redone. Since we take many tour groups there, I...Read More
As with many words in Japanese, the word “onsen” (温泉) has different meanings. The two main meanings are either a hot spring, or a group of traditional inns and hotels that have been developed around a hot spring. For the purpose of this blog, we will use the latter meaning. Since it is a geothermally-active...Read More
Whether you call the foods eaten everyday soul food, comfort food or “Mom’s Home Cooking”, Omu Rice (オムライス-omuraisu in Japanese) is certainly one of the most popular foods of that category in Japan. There is not one area where it is popular. Instead it is popular everywhere in Japan. It is common at “shukudo” (low...Read More
The Kii-Katsuura port boasts the largest tuna catch in Japan. There are several reasons for this. The port is close to the Kuroshio ocean current. Because the port is deep and can easily accommodate the larger boats needed for tuna fishing, Kii-Katsuura is only one of two ports in Japan that receive tuna all-year. And...Read More
Sanuki udon is a specialty of Takamatsu city and Kagawa Prefecture on the northern shore of the island of Shikoku. It is so popular all over Japan, that Kagawa prefecture is also called “Udon Prefecture”. This area of Japan was known as Sanuki during the Edo Period (1603 to 1868), hence the name. Sanuki Udon...Read More
