Just like everything else, the pandemic has changed the way temple and shrine visits in Japan are done. Touching anything with your hands at religious places is not advised at this time in Japan. Some rituals at shrines and temples all over Japan have been discontinued at least for a while, just as the custom of...Read More
There are recent studies that indicate Japan’s mask culture is learned at an early age. According to a survey, at this time 98% of Japanese people say they always wear a mask, even when outdoors. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, most Japanese had no problem wearing a mask unlike the resistance found in the United...Read More
After a 10 month absence, I recently returned to Japan. The entry into Japan during the COVID pandemic was much, much different than in the past. The trip actually started in February, two months prior to my travels. Immediately after getting my vaccinations and purchasing my airfare, the next stop was Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs...Read More
March 11 marks the 10th anniversary of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. Just like I will always remember where I was on 11/22/1963 (JFK assassination), 9/11/2001 and 1/6/2021, I will always remember where I was on 3/11/2011. I was with a tour group on the southern island of Kyushu, which is about as far away...Read More
Kaitenzushi, or conveyor belt sushi, is a convenient, affordable and fun type of sushi restaurant characterized by the conveyor belt that winds through the restaurant. The conveyor belt carries plates of sushi past the diners, who can take whatever they wish. Each plate is color coded, and the color indicates the cost of that plate of sushi....Read More
Samurai Tours December Newsletter 2020 We strongly believe that Japanese food is the most underrated aspect of travel to Japan. Most people think Japanese people only eat sushi, but nothing could be further from the truth. A challenge is the lack of Japanese ingredients that is not commonly available outside of Japan. And boy, do...Read More
Food Specialties in Northern Japan We are going to list a few of our favorite food specialties in northern Japan. This is by no means a complete list. Because there are so many, there is no way to list all of the food specialties in northern Japan. We are going to break down the list...Read More
Japan enjoyed something of a travel boom in the late Edo Period (1603-1868). This was no doubt a key impetus behind the famous ukiyo-e landscape series “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” created by Katsushika Hokusai around 1830, depicting the beauty of the iconic mountain from a variety of locations. A short while later, Utagawa Hiroshige...Read More
You may be familiar with Hachiko as his story was made into a Hollywood movie in 2009 called ‘Hachi: A Dog’s Tale’ which starred Richard Gere. Hachi was a stray dog. A professor of Tokyo University found this abandoned dog and took him home. Over a period of time, he formed an unbreakable bond with Hachi....Read More
Ask anyone who has been to Japan, and they will always remember the ubiquitous yellow tactile paving blocks. As a tour guide, I am often asked what they are. Designed to assist sight-impaired individuals travel solo, Japan’s tactile paving blocks are typically found everywhere, such as stairs, elevators and railroad station platforms. First created and...Read More
